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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Chap.... Copyright No 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




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RECEIVED 

JUN 9 l*" 8 






ST. ANTHONY, 

THE SAINT OF THE WHOLE WORLD. 











THE MIRACLE OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. 



SAINT ANTHONY, 



The Saint of the Whole World. 



ILLUSTRATED BY PEN AND PENCIL. 



ADAPTED FROM THE BEST SOURCES BY 

Rev. THOMAS F. % WARD, 
n 

Pastor of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, 
Brooklyn, TV. Y. 



"St. Anthony is not only the Saint of Padua, he is the Saint of the whole world." 

—Leo XIII. 




NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO: 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy /tpostolic See. 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED- 







82G1 



IHibil ©bstat. 

Remy Lafort, 

( \:nsor L ibrorum . 

Umprimatur. 

* Michael Augustine, 

Archbishop of New York. 
New York, April 5, 189S. 



Copyright, 1898, by Benziger Brothers. 



U-/0 



7f 



PREFACE. 



If ever man, if ever saint received the Holy 
Spirit abundantly, it was unquestionably the 
saint whose life we now present for the edifica- 
tion of the faithful. It was by the Holy Spirit 
and His sevenfold gifts that St. Anthony accom- 
plished those great wonders which we admire 
in his life. Supernatural light and piety and 
strength were the means which God furnished 
him, and by which he so marvellously fulfilled 
his mission. 

When the Saviour wished to save men, He 
commenced His ministry by instructing them. 
He preached in Judea and in Galilee, in fact He 
declared that His mission was precisely to preach 
to men. When He was about to ascend to 
heaven, He charged His apostles to continue the 
work He had begun, and insisted that they also 
should preach His word to men. 

Yet let us not suppose that preaching consists 



6 Preface. 

merely in the discourses which the apostle de- 
livered: "No," said a great preacher, "the apos- 
tle is not only a man who knows, and who teaches 
by means of the word delivered ; the apostle is a 
man who preaches Christianity with his whole 
being, and whose very presence is the appear- 
ance of another Christ." 

And such was St. Anthony of Padua, to whom 
devotion is so widespread to-day. This amiable 
saint was at once both monk and apostle. To 
the preaching of the Gospel he added the strict 
observance of the severest counsels and the con- 
stant practice of fasting, of penance, and of 
prayer. It was by these means that he capti- 
vated countless followers: the just were strength- 
ened, the slothful fired with zeal, sinners were 
converted, and heretics recognized their errors. 
At the comparatively early age of thirty-six 
years his earthly mission ended. After his death, 
even as during his life, wonders were wrought 
through his intercession. And now, after seven 
centuries have passed away, the great wonder- 
worker still spreads out his blessings on those 
who invoke him, with such profusion as is well 
calculated to encourage his devout servants to 
continue the offering of their homage. 



Preface. 7 

It is for this end that we devote these few 
pages, which will proclaim the virtues of this 
great friend of God, and the power he possesses 
in heaven. 

To render to the saints the honor which is 
due them, we should invoke and imitate them. 
We should strive to follow the good examples 
which they have given us while on earth; 
and to do this we should read and know their 
lives. 

Let us read especially the life of St. Anthony 
of Padua, and we shall be astonished at such 
exalted sanctity. We cannot fail to admire 
the power granted by God to this wonder- 
worker. 

Devotion to St. Anthony of Padua crossed the 
ocean with our fathers, and with the Virgin 
Mother and St. Joseph he is invoked in almost 
every Catholic household, with a fervor and a 
piety which, we must admit, have received their 
fullest recompense. 

Who can deny the power of St. Anthony, 
especially in certain circumstances? When we 
read this little book, we shall learn, after the ex- 
ample the saint has given us, that there is every- 
thing to gain by serving God faithfully and 



8 Preface. 

lovingly, while there is everything to lose by 
abandoning Him. 

We shall learn also the great advantages 
which follow the invocation of the saints, and 
how much our sorrows shall be soothed, if we 
only know how to form friendships in heaven. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface, 5 

CHAPTER I. 
Infancy of St. Anthony of Padua, . . . .11 

CHAPTER II. 
His Vocation, 15 

CHAPTER III. 
St. Anthony Enters the House of the Friars Minor, 19 

CHAPTER IV. 
St. Anthony Lectures on Theology, . . . .23 

CHAPTER V. 
St. Anthony and the Albigenses, . . . .30 

CHAPTER VI. 
St. Anthony is Appointed Custodian of Limoges, . 39 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Wonder- Worker at Limoges, 43 

CHAPTER VIII. 
St. Anthony Leaves France, 53 



10 Contents. 

CHAPTER IX. 

PAGE 

St. Anthony in Italy— The Miracle of the Fishes, . 59 

CHAPTER X. 
St. Anthony at Padua, 67 

CHAPTER XI. 
General Chapter of Assisi, 72 

CHAPTER XII. 
Death of St. Anthony, 78 

CHAPTER XIII. 
The Bread of St. Anthony 90 

CHAPTER XIV. 

What is Asked of St. Anthony, 99 

Prayers to St. Anthony 103 

Novena in Honor of St. Anthony of Padua, . . 103 

Prayer to Find Lost Things, 103 

Efficacious Prayer to St. Anthony 104 

Petition to St. Anthony, 106 

Prayer to Obtain a Good Death, 106 

Litany of St. Anthony, 107 

The Responsory to St. Anthony, Ill 

O Gloriosa Doniina, ....... 113 

O Lingua Benedicts, 114 

St. Anthony's Blessing Against the Assaults of the 

Powers of Hell, 116 

Three Prayers to be Said Kneeling Before a Picture 

of St. Anthony in Affliction or Anxiety of any 

Kind, 116 

Prayer, . .118 

Prayer for One who Would Devoutly Honor St. 

Anthony 118 



ST. ANTHONY, 

THE SAINT OF THE WHOLE WORLD. 



CHAPTER I. 

INFANCY OP ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA. 

St. Anthony of Padua was born at Lisbon, in 
Portugal, on the 15th clay of August, 1195. His 
father was Martin de Bouillon and his mother 
Theresa de Tavera. Both were descended from 
a long line of ancient and illustrious ancestors, 
remarkable for their courage and faith and their 
nobility of blood. 

Hardly had the illustrious St. Francis of Assisi 
been called to his reward, than his place was 
filled, in the veneration and enthusiasm of the 
people, by him whom all proclaimed his first- 
born, the amiable saint of whom we are speak- 
ing. Like his spiritual father, St. Anthony was 
remarkable for his dominion over nature which 

won for him the title of wonder-worker. 
11 



12 Infancy of St. Anthony of Padua. 

The newly-born child was carried in great 
pomp to the sacred precincts of the cathedral, 
and there received the name of Fernando. 

There was unbounded joy in the household: 
the lowly and the great ones united their con- 
gratulations, and the palace of the de Bouillon 
resounded with best wishes, which might seem 
exaggerated, to be excelled only by the reality. 
His mother, Donna Theresa, was most conscien- 
tious in her duties, and realized her responsibility 
fully. Her solicitude was very great in the ex- 
ercise of her exalted mission, which for every 
mother worthy of the name is a sacred obliga- 
tion. Being thoroughly Christian, she filled the 
mind of her little son with the sweet teachings of 
the Gospel, and being the daughter of heroes, she 
formed him on lofty ideals of character, and to 
esteem those great things which she regarded 
as the most beautiful possession of nobility. 

This pious mother, full of devotion to the 
Queen of Heaven, taught her beloved child not 
only Mary's power and goodness, but she 
taught him also to give her his confidence and 
love. 

Fernando responded to the affection of his 
mother. Everything in him foretold a heart of 



Infancy of St. Anthony of Padua. 13 

gold and an exalted and refined intelligence. He 
was happy only when they spoke to him of the 
Blessed Trinity, the Virgin Mother, and the 
saints. The ardor with which he recited his 
daily devotions was the admiration of every one. 
We might say that his education was given him 
in the church, at the foot of the altars, and that 
his science was founded especially on the knowl- 
edge of religion. He learned the Latin language 
rapidly, and, in fact, all that was taught in the 
schools at the time: humanities, rhetoric, and 
philosophy. Everything that related to religion, 
ecclesiastical history, and to liturgy was for him 
an object of marked predilection. His devotion 
to study, his modesty, his sweetness, and his piety 
were the consolation of his preceptors and the 
admiration of his comrades. He was regarded 
as the model of all the virtues, and merited even 
more eulogies than were bestowed upon him. 

The first miracle of which we have any record 
took place in the church which he was accus- 
tomed to frequent. One day, as he was kneeling 
on the steps of the altar, in the sanctuary of Our 
Lady of the Pillar and his eyes fixed on the tab- 
ernacle, this angel of the earth mingled his 
burning adorations with those of his brethren in 



14 Infancy of St. Anthony of Padua. 

heaven. Suddenly the demon appeared to him 
in a threatening manner, striving to turn him 
away from his devotions. The terrified young 
man remembered the power of the sign of the 
cross, and quickly he traced this sign on the 
marble steps. At once, under the impress of his 
pure and delicate finger, the marble softened and 
retained the impression of the cross. It was a 
thunder-stroke for the demon, who immediately 
disappeared. The miraculous cross is visible to 
this day, and pilgrims love to kiss the ineffaceable 
mark of the first prodigy in a life all resplendent 
with prodigies 



CHAPTER II. 

HIS VOCATION. 

In time the young Fernando attained to man- 
hood, the age when the passions grow strong, the 
moment of deceitful dreams and delusions, the 
critical epoch of life, the dangerous phoal on 
which so many beautiful souls are shipwrecked 
and forever ruined. Fernando was surrounded 
by countless snares. Being rich, and of illustri- 
ous birth and splendid personal appearance, he 
was exposed to all the attacks of the world, and 
besides he lived in a city which then, as now, 
was truly a place of pleasure. But he did not 
yield to temptation: chosen souls, like this one, 
are even more exposed than others to dangers, 
temptations, and ruin. While, it is true, he 
was strong to combat against himself and against 
the demon, his heart, however, was swayed by 
great trials ; but God was with him and He never 
abandoned His servant. In those moments when 
he felt himself failing, he had recourse to God 
15 



16 His Vocation, 

and the Virgin Mother, his patroness, and with 
tearful eyes asked their protection and assist- 
ance. One day, raised by grace above the world 
and himself, he resolved to delay no longer in con- 
secrating himself to God. "0 world!" he cried, 
" thou hast overwhelmed me ; thy strength is only 
a frail reed, thy riches are only a little smoke, and 
thy pleasures so many quicksands in which virtue 
is shipwrecked. For me, Lord, Thy altars 
shall be my dwelling forever." His resolution 
was taken, firm and irrevocable. He asked for 
the habit in the convent of Canons Eegular of 
St. Augustine, at Lisbon. He was received with 
open arms and the white robe of the novices 
placed upon him. 

Fernando was happy ; now he had only to think 
of God. But he was not allowed long to enjoy 
that peace which he desired with so much ardor. 
His parents and friends, during the year of his 
novitiate, tormented him constantly to return 
to the world. Every means were employed: 
caresses, threats, flatteries, and bitter railleries. 
Being harassed on every side, fatigued by con- 
stant combat which detached his soul from the 
pure joys of the sanctuary, the young novice re- 
solved to depart from Lisbon, and to seek else- 







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ST. ANTHONY RECEIVES THE HABIT. 



His Vocation. 17 

where the tranquillity he could not find there. 
He decided to go to Coimbra, where, as at 
Lisbon, he was the admiration of the other 
religious. 

In the abbey, the study of letters and the 
formation of the religious life went hand-in - 
hand, and so Don Fernando could give himself 
fully to the pursuit of sacred science. Nature 
had richl}' endowed him. His memory was pro- 
digious. He retained whatever he read. Being 
alone with God, meditating constantly on heav- 
enly things, he soon acquired a full and com- 
plete knowledge of them. It was said that the 
Holy Spirit had descended on him as upon the 
Apostles to give him the gift of tongues, im- 
mense knowledge, and an irresistible eloquence. 
His preceptors did not conceal their admiration 
for his vast erudition, and his superiors did not 
hesitate to present him for sacred orders. 

Moreover, the sanctity of this servant of God 
was already known by miracles. One day, as he 
was occupied near the church at some humble 
occupation, he heard the clock strike suddenly, 
which announced the time of the elevation. As 
he knelt on the earth, he beheld the stone walls 
open before him, and the priest at the altar 



18 His Fore/ion. 

appeared to him, holding the sacred Host in his 
hands. 

On another day, while attending a sick 
brother, who laughed and cried alternately, as 
if afflicted nervously, the idea came to Anthony 
that the unhappy brother was under the power 
of the demon — and so it was in fact : taking his 
mantle from his shoulders he covered the afflicted 
brother, who was at once restored to perfect 
health. 

On another occasion, while assisting the priest 
at the altar, he perceived the soul of a Francis- 
can religious suspended in the air under the form 
of a white dove. The soul had passed through 
purgatory, had paid the last farthing of satisfac- 
tion, and entered into the kingdom of the elect. 



CHAPTER III. 

ST. ANTHONY ENTERS THE HOUSE OF THE FRIARS 
MINOR. 

In the year 1216, St. Francis of Assisi had just 
sent into Portugal St. Zachary and St. Gauthier 
with some Friars Minor. King Alphonsus II. 
had confided to them the chapel of the holy abbe 
Anthony, about half a league from Coi.mbra, and 
made them erect there a convent. As they often 
came to collect at the houses of the Augustinians, 
Don Fernando soon knew them, and consequently 
admired the austerity of their apostolic life. He 
loved to converse with them, and felt in his heart 
an immense desire to imitate them. There was 
also another circumstance which influenced him, 
viz. : the solemn translation of the bodies of five 
Franciscan religious who had just been mar- 
tyred at Maroc. On learning the glorious history 
of these five apostles, he also wished to shed his 
blood for Christ by propagating the faith. Day 
and night he longed for the palm of martyrdom, 

19 



20 Enters the House of the Friars Minor. 

which he believed he could merit only under the 
habit of the Friars Minor. 

After praying to God to make known to him 
His intentions, he imparted his desire and his 
resolutions to the Brothers of St. Anthony des 
Oliviers, who received him with great joy. 

Great indeed was the sorrow of the Augus- 
tinian Canons when they had learned his deter- 
mination. The prior, in giving him the permis- 
sion he could not refuse, did not conceal his 
disajjprobation, and one of the Canons to whom 
he bade adieu said to him with sorrow: "Go; 
you will perhaps become a saint." But Fernando 
answered humbly : " The day on which you 
learn that I have become a saint you shall be the 
first to give thanks to God for it." 

The new Franciscan received, with the habit of 
the Order, the name of Anthony in honor of the 
holy priest to whom was dedicated the first 
seraphic convent in Portugal. 

When he had pronounced his vows, remember- 
ing he had entered the seraphic Order only with 
the desire of gaining the crown of martyrdom, 
he asked his superiors for permission to go to 
Africa to preach there the truth to the Maurians. 
His superiors allowed him to depart; but God, 



Enters the House of the Friars Minor. 21 

who was content with his ardent desire, had de- 
cided in His eternal wisdom that Anthony should 
exercise his zeal in Europe. He had scarcely 
reached the end of his journey when our saint 
fell a victim to a cruel illness which more than 
once placed his life in danger and forced him to 
return to Portugal, where he expected to find 
health and strength. The return was unfortu- 
nate ; a violent tempest cast him on the shores of 
Sicily. 

He then went to Messina, where the Brothers 
Minor had a convent; and about two months 
after the servant of God was fully restored to 
health. There was at that time an official con- 
vocation of the Fourth General Chapter of the 
Order, and our saint hastened to place himself at 
the disposition of the holy founder. 

The Chapter opened at Portiuncula on the thir- 
tieth day of May, 1221. It was a most imposing 
assembly; the bishop, the cardinal, and about 
three thousand brethren assembled from the north 
and south. But above and beyond all, the se- 
raphic patriarch was conspicuous not only because 
of the superiority of his A T irtues, but because 
of his authority. Anthony never tired contem- 
plating the emaciated and worn countenance 



22 Enters the House of the Friars Minor. 

expressive of humility, zeal, and love; nor could 
he thank the divine Master sufficiently for hav- 
ing called him to a warfare so providentially 
sent to the assistance of His Church. St. 
Francis, so largely endowed with the discern- 
ment of souls, did not know this son, who was 
destined soon to shed lustre on the institute. He 
divided the labors, assigned residences, and 
pointed out the new missions. But in all these 
arrangements Anthony was overlooked. No 
provincial thought of claiming him. He was 
looked upon as a novice, as one incapable of duty. 
God permitted this humiliation in order to 
strengthen the merits of His faithful servant. 
He reserved him for the proper time, to place him 
as a bright light in a most conspicuous place. 

The blessed Anthony begged to be allowed to 
accompany the provincial so that he might be 
formed or trained in the exercises of the regular 
discipline. Not one word of his past life escaped 
his lips, not the least allusion to his theological 
studies. To know Jesus and Jesus crucified, and 
to love Him — such was his desire. Touched by 
the exquisite candor of the applicant, the provin- 
cial granted his request, embraced him tenderly, 
and together they set out for Eoumania. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

ST. ANTHONY LECTURES ON THEOLOGY. 

As Brother Anthony was a priest, the provin- 
cial appointed him to attend the little monastery 
of St. Paul on the mountain of the same name. 
The convent was admirably situated on the sum- 
mit of the mountain, suspended, so to speak, be- 
tween earth and heaven, where no earthly sound 
could reach it. There the ravished soul could 
hear in silence and peace the great harmonies of 
nature celebrating the grandeur and the power 
of the Creator. 

This was precisely what Anthony always 
longed for; a religious gave him a little cell 
built in the rock, on the side of the mountain. 
There it was he came, when his duties were ful- 
filled, to pass days and nights in perpetual medi- 
tation, interrupted only by austere practices. Ho 
lived on bread and water, and wore under his 
clothing a hair shirt, sharp and coarse, all of 
which are still preserved at Padua in a silver 



24 St. Antinomy Lectures on Theology. 

frame. His mortifications weakened him so 
much that he could scarcely stand. But if the 
body was weak, the soul was strong, being con- 
stantly strengthened by prayer, and prepared to 
combat victoriously against heresy and all the 
vanities of the world. 

Anthony lived thus for a whole year in solitude 
and contemplation, submissive to the providence 
of God, which he never questioned for a moment. 

The time, however, approached when the pious 
Anthony should make known the precious gifts 
he had received from heaven. In the year 122-2, 
the servant of God accompanied the Friars Minor 
who went to Forli to receive sacred orders. It 
was the custom, after an ordination, to address 
some words to the young clerics, who had just 
been ordained ministers of the Most High. 

The bishop of Forli requested the guardian of 
Mount St. Paul to discharge this duty, or to en- 
trust it to one of his religious. The eves of the 
superior fell on Anthony, and it was he who re- 
ceived the command, in the name of holy obedi- 
ence, to ascend the pulpit and give the customary 
discourse. Against his feelings he consented, 
esteeming himself unworthy of such an honor. 
Yet he must obey; and, having asked the 



St. Anthony Lectures on Theology. 25 

bishop's blessing, he prepared himself to speak. 
None of his assistants thought that he had stud- 
ied the Holy Scriptures, or had scarcely read 
them ; they saw him constantly engaged in the 
kitchen, occupied in cleansing the vessels of the 
convent rather than plunged in the works of high 
theology. 

He took for his text this passage of the office 
for Holy Thursday, Christus /actus est obecliens 
usque ad mortem. At first his words were calm, 
without splendor, almost hesitating. Then he 
became animated, rapid, energetic, and burning. 
The poor monk, worn out by sufferings and pri- 
vations, and of wretched appearance, spoke with 
the authority of an apostle and the eloquence of 
a prophet. With his powerful voice and superb 
gestures, he ruled the whole assembly. By his 
attitude alone he seemed to say, " Listen, children 
of men, for I am he who speaks in the name of 
the Lord." In fact, he was heard with religious 
admiration. The assistants were mute with as- 
tonishment and shed tears of happiness. They 
saw a ray of divine intelligence shining in him, 
and were penetrated by a profound and holy 
respect. A new life had now begun for An- 
thony. 



^0 /SV. Anthony Lectures on Theuluyy. 

The public reports and the comments of 
his superiors were not slow in making known 
to the holy patriarch Francis what had been 
the success of the first sermon pronounced 
by the young religious, and also what mag- 
nificent hopes were expected from such a 
beginning. Almost at once he was entrusted 
with the difficult mission of laboring for the 
conversion and the salvation of souls. Anthony 
was then only twenty-seven years old. 

From the day on which he began his pain- 
ful and glorious labor until he ceased to 
preach, an attentive and pious multitude 
eagerly .thronged to hear his sermons. At 
first he evangelized the principal cities of Rou- 
mania and Lombardy. Success crowned his 
efforts beyond all hope. Sinners wept and 
sobbed in the churches where he preached, 
and the most unexpected conversions were 
wrought by his labors. His words were like 
so many darts which pierced the hearts of his 
hearers. He gave to others of his own ful- 
ness: and it was not astonishing that, having 
kindled in his own soul the fire of divine charity, 
lie enkindled it also in the souls of all who heard 
him. 



St. Anthony Lectures on Theology. 27 

The superiority of AnthoDy's talents responded 
to a project cherished for three or four years by 
the seraphic patriarch. He wished to have an 
official course of theology for the special use of 
the Order. The venerable founder looked about 
him, among all his disciples, for a wise and well- 
balanced mind, uniting solid piety with vast wis- 
dom. He was still seeking when the Superior 
Gratien presented, in eulogistic terms, the con- 
templative of Mount St. Paul as the type of the 
accomplished director. At once the patriarch of 
Assisi selected Anthony, and he was too obedient 
a son to think for an instant of declining the 
honor offered him, in spite of his extreme mod- 
esty. Well did he know that the honor was also 
a heavy charge. Immediately leaving the grotto 
of Mount St. Paul which he loved so well, he 
hastened to Bologna, there to fulfil the office of 
preacher. In addition to his preaching he pro- 
fessed theology, at first in France, at Montpelier, 
then at Bologna, and at Padua, then at Toulouse, 
and in several other cities of France. Every- 
where a multitude of young men, thirsting for 
science, gathered to hear his lessons; and his 
fame increased from day to day in spite of the 
efforts he made to remain unknown, although he 



28 St Anthony Lectures on Theology. 

did not think of himself but of the souls of his 
hearers. 

The learned abbe of St. Andrew said of An- 
thony: "Love often passes the limits in which 
science dwells; and this is what I have observed 
in Anthony, the friar minor, with whom I have 
had friendly relations for a long time; he had 
not only a very profound knowledge of human 
science, but by the purity of his soul and the fire 
of his love he has surpassed the greatest theo- 
logians, and we can say of him, as of St. John 
the Baptist, he was as a lamp which burns by 
consuming itself. The fire of his love consumed 
him, and by the example of his holy life he en- 
lightened the world." Anthony also loved this 
learned abbe tenderly, and as often as he passed 
near Piedmont, he never neglected to visit him. 
At the moment of his death he suddenly appeared 
to the theologian, who, lost in his books, was 
suffering from a violent headache. Anthony 
affectionately embraced him and said: "I have 
left my work at Padua and am returning to my 
country." Having relieved the headache, he 
vanished as a phantom. The abbe, imagining 
that Anthony was returning to Portugal, 
searched the convent, and was astonished to find 



St. Anthony Lectures on Theology. 29 

that no one had seen him. Some days after- 
ward everything was explained ; he received 
the news from Padua that Anthony had died, 
and precisely at the hour when he had appeared 
to him. 



CHAPTER V. 

ST. ANTHONY AND THE ALBIGENSES. 

At this epoch the heresy of the Albigenses be- 
gan to work its ravages in the south of France. 
Like to a contagious scourge, it spread in the 
cities and villages and made countless victims. 
St. Francis was moved by it; his heart was 
bleeding at the thought of the sorrows which 
countless souls were preparing for themselves in 
eternity, and he thought he could arrest the 
progress of the evil. For this great mission he 
selected Anthony and charged him to found con- 
vents of the Order, and to preach the true faith 
in Provence and Languedoc. Anthony departed 
feeling strong in the help of the Lord. 

Hardly had he arrived when he gave himself 
resolutely to the work assigned him. He labored 
incessantly, without truce or intermission, until 
the heresy was reduced almost to powerlessness. 
He was called the hammer of heresy. Conver- 
sions were frequent. Each sermon gained a great 
30 



St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 31 

number. When he ceased speaking many men 
and women approached him with tears in their 
eyes, to ask of him, in the name of the Lord, 
pardon and absolution for their errors. More- 
over, he spared himself no fatigue. After his 
daily Mass he passed his days in preaching, in 
catechizing, in giving wise counsel, and in absolv- 
ing. So engrossed was he in these works of 
charity and love he forgot to eat or drink. Often- 
times he took his first repast only when night 
was coming on. At night he prayed, meditated, 
and studied. The Lord took care to confirm his 
words by prodigies. 

One morning, while our saint was in the pulpit, 
the body of a young man was brought to him, 
who had been prematurely taken from his par- 
ents. The sorrow of the family was heart-rend- 
ing. The blessed Anthony was profoundly 
moved, and suspended his preaching for a few 
moments. Then extending his hand towards the 
coffin, he cried out in a tone of authority, "In 
the name of Christ, young man, arise!" At the 
sound of his voice the young man stirred, tore off 
his shroud, and cast himself into the arms of his 
parents, who, needless to say, were filled with 
joy and gratitude. 



32 St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 

In 1225 he preached in the Church of Mont- 
pelier, on a festival day, in presence of the clergy 
and a countless multitude. At the beginning of 
his discourse he remembered that he had been 
appointed to sing in the choir during the solemn 
Mass, which was celebrated at the same hour in 
the chapel of the convent, and he had neglected 
to delegate some one in his place. He was deeply 
afflicted at this forgetfulness, and regarded his 
conduct as an infraction of the law of obedience. 
He bowed his head on the pulpit, and enveloped 
himself in his hood, and there remained a long 
time motionless and silent, to the great astonish- 
ment of all present. At the same time he ap- 
peared in the midst of his brethren, sang the 
Alleluia, and fulfilled his duty. About one hour 
after he again stood up in the pulpit and contin- 
ued with incomparable eloquence the sermon he 
had only commenced. 

Great was the sorrow of our saint one day, 
when on entering his cell he perceived that his 
" Commentary on the Psalms" had disappeared. 
A novice who had wearied of religious life se- 
cretly took the book and had departed. Not 
knowing whom he might charge with the theft, 
as usual he had recourse to prayer, and conjured 




st. Anthony's first sermon. 



St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 33 

Him to whom nothing is hidden to recover his 
loss. At the same moment the fugitive was ar- 
rested in his flight. On the banks of a river, a 
hideous spectre suddenly appeared before him, 
and said : " In the name of the Lord, restore what 
you have stolen, otherwise I shall kill you and 
cast you into the depths of the abyss." The ter- 
rified novice retraced his steps, made an avowal 
of his faults, and asked for pardon with many 
tears, and with such sincerity that St. Anthony 
restored him the religious habit with most pa- 
ternal affection. The Lord granted him personal 
favors, and we shall see further on how he 
gained the permanent and universal privilege of 
finding things which had been lost. 

St. Anthony preached at a station at Bourges, 
and so great was the multitude desiring to hear 
him that the churches of the city were unable 
to accommodate them. It was determined to 
assemble in the open air, at the foot of a small 
eminence. Suddenly the lightning flashed and 
the thunder groaned, and the blackened clouds 
spread out over the blue vault of heaven until 
they had obscured and hidden everything. The 
people were terrified and wished to flee and seek 
some shelter. But Anthony tranquillized them. 



34 St Anthony and the Albigenses. 

"Remain in peace," he said to the assistants, 
"not one drop of rain shall touch yon." He con- 
tinued to speak as if he were in the pulpit of the 
cathedral. The storm raged with fury around 
the pious assembly, but left untouched the space 
they occupied. 

At the arrival of Anthony the war between 
error and truth, appeased by the preaching of St. 
Dominic some years before, was again enkin- 
dled and with more bitterness than ever. His 
work extended everywhere, when faith was in 
danger. During the year L225 this servant of 
God arrived at Toulouse, where he found the 
Albigenses in possession of all their liberties, 
thanks to the protection of Count Raymond 
VII. Besides, the heretics continued to teach 
their doctrines in the streets and byways, a doc- 
trine which saddened the ears of the angels and 
shocked the faith of the Christians. Anthony at 
once with all his zeal began to lead these lost 
souls into the bosom of truth. Night and day 
he disputed with the heretics; in their presence 
he expounded the Catholic teaching with greatest 
clearness; he victoriously refuted their preju- 
dices, employing such learning as was calculated 
to win their admiration, and a charity which 



St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 35 

found its way to their hearts and converted 
them. 

Among the errors professed by the Albigenses i / 
was the denial of the Real Presence of Our Lord 
in the blessed Eucharist. One day St. Anthony 
carried on a long discussion on this article of 
Catholic faith with an obstinate and influential 
heretic of the city. Being pressed by the solid 
and luminous reasons of the apostle, the heretic 
seemed to waver, even to the point of giving 
homage to faith. He stopped short, however, 
even as the Jews of old, and asked for mira- 
cles. "Prove to me by a public miracle," he 
said, "that Jesus is really present in the Eucha- 
rist, as you are striving to establish, and I swear 
to you that I shall at once renounce my doctrines, 
and humbly submit myself to what you preach." 
The challenge was a solemn one ; another would 
have hesitated to accept it. But Anthony, in- 
spired by the Holy Spirit, tranquilly replied he 
would accept it. Then the heretic said : " I shall 
shut my mule in his stable for three days, and 
deprive him of all food. When this time shall 
have passed, I will lead him into the public street 
and before all the assembled people I will offer 
him food to eat. But you, on your part, will 



36 St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 

bring the consecrated Host, and will present it 
to my mule. If, in spite of bis hunger be turns 
away from the food, and prostrates himself on 
both knees before your sacrament, I shall be con- 
vinced, and declare myself a Catholic." Anthony 
consented to this proposition and departed. He 
prepared himself by prayer to avenge Jesus for 
the outrages inflicted on Him by the impiety of 
the Manicheans. He asked of God to draw from 
the slavery of error so many simple souls, over 
whom the torrent of opinion triumphed, and led 
far from His Church. At length the day of trial 
came, and the heretic came to the appointed 
place, followed by a large number who hoped to 
enjoy the confusion of the Franciscan apostle. 
The heretic led his mule by the bridle, and also 
carried the food which he knew would be so wel- 
come. During this time Anthony celebrated 
Mass with even greater fervor than ordinary. 
When he had finished he turned towards the scene 
where the power of Heaven was soon to be mani- 
fested. The saint held in his hands the golden 
ostensorium, in the centre of which reposed the 
Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. 
Behind him walked many of the faithful, reciting 
prayers and hymns, impatient to see what would 



St. Anthony and the Albigenses. 37 

happen. When Anthony was in the presence of 
his adversary, he stopped and recollected himself 
for an instant ; then he imposed silence on the 
multitude, and turning to the mule thus spoke to 
him : " In the name of thy Creator, whom I truly 
carry in my hands, in spite of my unworthiness, 
I say to thee, animal deprived of reason, and I 
command thee, to come at once with humility 
and do Him the reverence which you owe Him." 
At the same moment the owner of the mule pre- 
sented him with food to eat. But, prodigy! 
the beast turned away from his food, and, obedi- 
ent to the voice of the wonder-worker, fell to the 
earth on both knees and remained in this position 
immovable. The people, breathless with wonder, 
could not contain their enthusiasm ; and cries of 
joy escaped from every one. The heretics were 
cast on the ground where they stood, while the 
one who had provoked the miracle fell on his 
knees and adored in a loud voice the august 
Mystery, which a moment before he had called a 
superstition. He afterwards became an apostle, 
brought back to the truth his whole family, and 
constructed, at his own expense, a church which 
he dedicated to St. Peter. His descendants, to 
add to his gratitude, and to perpetuate the 



38 St. Antlwny and the Albigenses. 

memory of the miracle, built a chapel on the 
very spot where the miracle had been wrought. 

It was at Toulouse that the Blessed Virgin ap- 
peared to our saint to tell him that three days 
after her death she had been transported into 
heaven, body and soul, and that since that blessed 
day she was seated in glory at the right hand of 
Jesus, her Son. At tins epoch the belief in the 
assumption of Mary was not so strong as to-day. 
Anthony felt his heart expand with love for the 
Virgin Mother, which was not a new thing for 
him, but strengthened by the visit of the Virgin 
he proclaimed her glory everywhere. 



CHAPTER VI. 

ST. ANTHONY IS APPOINTED CUSTODIAN OF 
LIMOGES. 

A short time after Anthony left Toulouse and 
went to the convent of Puy-en-Velay, of which he 
had been appointed guardian. The city of Puy 
and the country round about soon knew the 
apostle, whose fame had already preceded him. 
Le Velay was not able to escape the invasion of 
heresy ; but Anthony soon arrested the ravages 
of error. He employed all his energy to combat 
them, until he had destroyed and radically extir- 
pated them. At the sound of his voice the true 
religion awakened in the hearts of these brave 
people, who hastened in crowds to listen to his 
preaching. His mission here was easy. From 
the beginning to the end there were constant 
miracles and prophecies, conversions and provi- 
dential circumstances which rendered his mis- 
sions most fruitful. 

The first remarkable fact was the conversion 

39 



40 Appointed Custodian of Limoges. 

of a notary, a man of lax morals and of violent 
character. Every time that Anthony met him 
in the streets the saint stopped and bowed pro- 
foundly before him. Irritated by what he re- 
garded as a mockery, the notary avoided meeting 
his supposed insulter. One day, seeing the saint 
bending his knee before him, he angrily said : 
" What do you mean by these grimaces? Did I 
not fear the anger of God, I would pierce you 
with my sword." "My brother," Anthony re- 
plied, in a voice as calm and sweet as becomes a 
disciple of St. Francis, "I desire your happiness. 
I wish for martyrdom, but Our Lord docs not so 
will it — yet He has revealed to me that lb' has 
reserved this grace for you. When this blessed 
hour shall come for you, remember, I beg of you, 
him who foretold it to you." The notary laughed 
uproariously at what he considered a senseless 
prediction. Some years after, however, Stephen 
III., bishop of Puy, set out with a troop of pil- 
grims to visit the holy places and to carry the 
torch of faith to the East. The notary, touched 
by grace and resolved to repair his scandals, 
joined the pious caravan. Having arrived at 
Palestine, he did not fear to assert his faith, and 
cry out to the Mussulmans that Mahomet was 



Appointed Custodian of Limoges. 41 

only an impostor. For this lie was arrested and 
condemned to death. As he walked to the scaf- 
fold he remembered the prophecy of Anthony, 
and spoke of it to the Franciscans who exhorted 
him to be brave in his martyrdom. 

On another day, in the same city of Puy, a 
lady of quality, about to become a mother, recom- 
mended herself to the prayers of St. Anthony. 
"Rejoice," he replied, as if by sudden inspiration; 
"the Lord will give you a son who shall be a 
member of the Friars Minor, and he shall be a 
martyr and illustrious in the Church." The 
prediction was fulfilled literally. 

His was a magnanimous soul, which stopped 
at no personal consideration, an intrepid mission- 
ary who did not hesitate to speak the truth to 
great and small, to prelates as well as to the 
simple faithful, when the honor of the Church or 
the good of souls required it. Wherever he went 
the people obeyed his words, sinners were recon- 
ciled, vocations became numerous, and the ardor 
of the apostolic life burned with all its original 
brightness. 

In the month of September, 1226, Anthony 
suspended for a time his apostolical labors to 
assist, with the other superiors in France, at the 



42 Appointed Custodian of Limoges. 

provincial chapter of Aries. ' Both old and young 
eagerly gathered about him and regarded him as 
the glory of their Order. They congratulated 
him for the strong blows he had given to the 
hydra-headed heresy of the Albigenses. But 
Anthony was not at all flattered by their warm 
compliments; even as the patriarch of Assisi, his 
model, he referred everything to God. 

Talents and heavenly favors and personal 
merits recommended the Portuguese wonder- 
worker to the suffrages of his brethren. They 
elected him custodian of Limoges unanimously, 
that is to say, superior of two or three convents 
in the city. But Anthony was equal to the task 
assigned him. 

A fortnight after his election, on the fourth day 
of October, 1220, the patriarch and founder of the 
Franciscan Order gave up his pure soul to God. 
Anthony inherited with the mantle of Francis 
not only a part of his authority, but his virtues, 
his humility, his mildness, and his zeal. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE WONDER-WORKER AT LIMOGES. 

The city of Limoges gave the wonder-worker 
one of those triumphal receptions which explains 
the faith of that epoch. The people wished to 
see him, to hear him, to touch the hem of his 
garments. He had scarcely set foot in the city 
hefore he preached in the cemetery of St. Paul. 
On the following day it was the abbey itself 
which claimed his presence. The Benedictines 
of Mount Soubase had respectfully received the 
seraphic patriarch, and had furnished him with 
his first place of prayer. Their brethren of 
Limoges surrounded the privileged disciple with 
the same veneration, and extended him equal 
assistance. His coming to their monastery is 
mentioned as an event. The guardian, however, 
did not neglect the direction of the religious con- 
fided to his care. He strengthened the good, 
enkindled ardor in the slothful, and had pity for 
the wavering. One of this latter class, a novice 
43 



44 The Wander-Worker at Limoges. 

named Peter, discouraged for the moment, was 
tempted to return to the world. The saint was 
warned by a revelation of the temptation and the 
interior agonies of the novice. St. Anthony 
went to him and, breathing on him, said, "Re- 
ceive the spirit of strength and wisdom." The 
novice at once fell to the ground as if dead, while 
his soul was ravished by ecstasy and transported 
among the splendors of heaven. When he re- 
covered his senses he wished to speak of the 
heavenly wonders his soul had contemplated, but 
the saint hindered him. The temptation had 
passed away and the novice became an exemplary 
religious. 

At Limoges his preaching excited an indescrib- 
able enthusiasm. It became necessary to preach 
in the open air, for no church was large enough 
to contain the multitudes that flocked to hear 
him. 

To true and loyal souls who asked the assist- 
ance of his prayers, the wonder-worker refused 
nothing. The following is a striking example: 
A certain lady of Limoges who was a great bene- 
factress of the Friars was one day severely re- 
proached for it by her husband. In a fit of anger 
and jealousy he went so far as to tear out her 



The Wonder-Worker at Limoges. 45 

hair. Sorrowfully she sought the wonder-worker, 
related what had happened, and asked him to 
restore her hair. The request seemed somewhat 
singular to St. Anthony, and a smile which looked 
like a refusal played about his lips. But, touched 
by the tears of the lady, he cast himself on his 
knees, and while he prayed the hair grew 
again, as if under the action of an invisible 
hand. But what was still more remarkable, 
the husband, struck by this marvel, repented, 
was reconciled with his wife, and vowed to the 
Franciscans an affection which lasted his life- 
time. 

At Limoges the name of St. Anthony was 
hailed with delight, and this admiration spread 
to the whole region. 

All the cities of Limousin disputed the honor 
of the wonder-worker's company. He yielded to 
their requests when he could, taxing his strength 
without ever considering difficulties, and sowing 
miracles at every footstep. 

At St. Julien he predicted that the improvised 
pulpit from which he spoke would be overthrown, 
but, notwithstanding the efforts of Satan, no 
serious result would follow. The prediction was 
fulfilled. The staging fell in the tumult at the 



46 The Wonder-Worker at Limoges. 

beginning of his discourse, but no one was in- 
jured. 

By a spiritual favor St. Anthony recompensed 
the abbey of Solignac for the generous hospital- 
ity the sons of St. Benedict had shown him. A 
poor monk of the monastery, tempted like St. 
Paul by the demon of impurity, could find no 
rest either day or night. He opened his soul to 
the powerful wonder-worker, who clothed him 
with his tunic. The shadow of St. Peter healed 
the sick, the robe of St. Anthony was no less 
efficacious. From this robe, sanctified by contact 
with a virginal flesh, went out a virtue which 
appeased the storm of the senses and delivered 
forever the monk kneeling at his feet. 

Again, there was a poor sinner so stifled by 
emotion and repentance for his faults that he 
could not speak so as to make his confession. 
"Go," said the saint, "and write your sins on a 
sheet of parchment." The penitent obeyed; he 
returned in about an hour, bringing a sheet wet 
with tears and containing a long list of his sins. 
But as fast as he declared them an angel effaced 
them, and when he reached the end the page was 
white and without stain. 

Everywhere, in the cities as well as in the 



The Wonder- Worker at Limoges. 47 

country, the invincible champion of God's rights 
created extraordinary interest. People from all 
ranks of society sought him out. All sorrows, 
whether physical or moral, appealed to him. 
Every one blessed him, but especially the lonely, 
the homeless, the sick, and sinners. 

It must be mentioned that mothers were espe- 
cially anxious, and women in general were most 
enthusiastic about him. Endowed with religions 
instinct deeper than that of men, the women 
eagerly pressed about his pulpit to assist him in 
his poverty, or to defend him against the calum- 
nies of the Manicheans. In return he consoled 
them in their sorrows, strengthened their weak- 
ness, blessed their children, and lavished on them 
the most splendid miracles. These were most 
touching because they referred to what was most 
sensitive — a mother's sorrow. 

It is related that a woman who was preparing 
a bath for her child, on learning that the saint 
had arrived in the village, hastened to hear and 
see him. In her haste she placed her little child 
in a boiler of scalding water instead of in a bath 
of tepid water. On returning from the sermon, 
she had a presentiment of her mistake. She ran, 
more dead than alive, and found her son in the 



48 TJie Wonder- Worker at Limoges. 

boiling water, it is true, but smiling and without 
the slightest injury. In another place a lady, on 
returning from an instruction given by the apos- 
tle at Limousin, found her child dead in its cradle. 
We can imagine the mother's sorrow at a catas- 
trophe so cruel and so unexpected. A thought 
of hope, however, crossed her mind. Perhaps 
the powerful wonder-worker would restore her 
child! She returned to him weeping, but confi- 
dent, and from her broken heart escaped this 
maternal cry: "My son is dead! Have pity on 
the tears of a mother!" "Go," answerel the 
saint, in an inspired tone, "the good Lord will 
have pity on you." She believed his word, 
returned in haste, and found her son not only 
alive but in all the vigor and freshness of his 
young life, amusing himself with his little 
toys. 

It was amid these wonders, and many simi- 
lar ones, that the apostle went through the 
neighborhood of Limoges. He scattered graces 
and heavenly favors, even as the husbandmen 
sow the seed, with full hands, until the people 
spoke of him in their picturesque language as the 
sower of miracles. 

And when he had finished his mission in one 




ST. ANTHONY, HELPER IN DISTRESS. 



The Wonder- Worker at Limoges. 49 

place ne continued his course, walking through 
the frost and snow barefoot, always unmindful 
of himself, always in search of the lost sheep. 
The consoler of souls, he was himself consoled by 
sight of the good he bad done them ; not infre- 
quently he mingled with the people and shared 
their joys and sorrows. 

One day he entered the house of a rich and 
pious man who had offered him the hospitality of 
his manor. This man hardly suspected the grace 
which he was about to enjoy. The gentleman 
assigned him a room separated from the others, 
that he might have more freedom in bis exercises 
of piety and contemplation. While the blessed 
Anthony prayed alone in his chamber the propri- 
etor visited the tenants of the manor. Suddenly 
his solicitude and his devotion for the saint 
prompted him to look towards the place where he 
prayed ; through the window he saw in the arms 
of Anthony a child of great beauty who embraced 
him with tenderness. The saint, on his part, 
returned the caresses and kisses; and not for 
an instant did he take his eyes from the beautiful 
child. Pale with emotion, and beside himself at 
the sight and the beauty of the child, the gentle- 
man asked himself whence the charming little 



50 The Wonder-WprJcer at IAmoges. 

one had come. He was not the victim of an illu- 
sion ; the spectacle which he witnessed was a real- 
ity. The blessed Anthony was conversing inti- 
mately with Jesus, the Son of God and of the 
Virgin, who had come from heaven to console 
His servant. The mere mention of the name of 
Jesus caused his heart to beat with joy; now he 
conversed with Him face to face, as with a friend. 
and with touching familiarity. In his humility 
he seemed embarrassed by the miracle which had 
just happened. He could not, however, conceal 
it from his host, for the Holy Infant Jesus re- 
vealed to Anthony what the man had seen. This 
is why. after the Infant had disappeared, he for- 
bade his host to reveal what he had seen as long 
as he lived. But after the death of the blessed 
Anthony the gentleman divulged the secret of 
the vision just recorded. He made the deposi- 
tion solemnly while shedding torrents of tears. 

From this time Anthony strove to show the 
Heart of Jesus as the principle of supernatural 
life; as the golden altar on which burns night 
and day the incense which arises in odoriferous 
clouds towards heaven and embalms the earth. 
He felt especially an insatiable desire to adore, to 
thank, and to annihilate himself before God and 



The Wonder- Worker at Limoges. 51 

to remain alone with Him. From Chateaunenf, 
where he had just enjoyed the vision described, 
he went to Brive. There he found in the neigh- 
borhood of the city a kind of desert where he 
founded a hermitage like Mount St. Paul. He 
dug out a grotto in the rock near a fountain of 
limpid water, and abandoned himself to the de- 
lights of contemplation. In this solitude he es- 
tablished three or four postulants who had left 
the world in order to be near him. After his de- 
parture he left them there. Wonders accompa- 
nied him even in the desert. His poverty there 
was extreme; everything was wanting except 
courage and the love of God. In a moment of 
distress the venerated guardian asked a lady of 
Brive to assist the little community and to send 
some vegetables- This she did gladly, in spite of 
a severe and persistent rain-storm, which was 
enough to paralyze the most energetic good-will; 
yet she charged her servant to carry the treasures 
of her charity to the hermitage. On her return 
the faithful messenger related to her mistress 
with admiration that she had walked all the way 
in the heavy rain, and that not a single drop 
reached her. 

This fact reminds us that nothing is small 



52 The Wonder- Worker at Limoges. 

which is done in a spirit of faith, and the good 
Lord never fails to recompense, whether it be 
sublime devotion or the cup of cold water given 
in His name. 

Solitude is the home of strong souls. There 
the air is pure, peace most profound, and con- 
verse with God most easy. It is not astonishing 
that the angel of darkness, this abiding enemy of 
the human race, seeks to disturb the echoes, es- 
pecially when he has before him apostles who 
take from him his victims. One evening during 
the prayer which follows the song of compline, 
the companions of St. Anthony saw a band of 
thieves occupied in destroying the harvest of a 
neighboring field which belonged to one of the 
principal benefactors of the convent. They ran 
to warn the blessed Anthony. He said to them : 
"Be not deceived. This is an artifice of the 
demon, who strives to tuin you away from the 
exercise of the presence of God." Early on the 
following day the harvest was intact, and the 
religious were again witness of in what large 
measure the soul of their superior was adorned 
by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ST. ANTHONY LEAVES FRANCE. 

No one wept more bitterly for the loss of the 
seraphic Francis of Assisi than St. Anthony. No 
one prayed with more fervor, that from the 
highest heaven he would still watch over his 
children and place at their head another like 
himself, a man capable of organizing and guid- 
ing an institution so necessary for the welfare of 
the Church. He was charged by his brethren 
with a special and secret mission to the Supreme 
Pontiff, a mission relating probably to the candi- 
dature of Father Elie, from whom was feared in- 
novations and laxities which ought to be avoided. 
He left Limoges in February, 1227, for the banks 
of the Rhone and journeyed towards Marseilles. 
This voyage was rapidly accomplished, and was 
signalized by a marvellous act of gratitude. 

When he and his companion, covered with 
sweat and tired out, reached a little town of 
Provence, a poor woman, touched by compassion, 
53 



54 St. Anthony Leaves France. 

invited them to come and rest at her house. She 
received them as generously as Martha received 
Our Lord at Bethany. Impelled by charity, she 
placed bread and wine on the table, and ran to 
borrow a glass from her neighbor. But, either 
through inadvertence or awkwardness, the com- 
panion of the saint, in placing the glass on the 
table, broke it in two pieces. Then another 
accident still more unfortunate happened ; the 
hostess, in returning to the cellar, saw that she 
had forgotten to close the spigot of the cask, and 
the wine had flowed on the ground. This was a 
severe loss for her. She could not contain her 
grief, and informed her two guests of what had 
happened. The blessed Anthony, covering his 
face with both hands that he might pray more 
easily, implored the Author of all good to have 
pity on the affliction of such a generous Chris- 
tian, and not allow her good work to go unre- 
warded. His prayer ascended like an arrow to 
the very throne of God. Suddenly the cup and 
the stand of the glass were united. The poor 
peasant was astonished at this, but realizing that 
it was a miracle, and persuaded that he who 
could perform such a prodigy could also perform 
another and restore to her the lost wine, she ran 



St. Anthony Leaves France. 55 

to the cellar. There a new surprise awaited her. 
Her cask of wine was full and running over as if 
from the wine-press. Delirious with joy, and 
beside herself, she knew not how to express her 
gratitude. But always humble, detached from 
everything and from himself, the wonder-worker 
shrunk from the praises and the marks of vener- 
ation which he considered should be given only 
to God. 

The prayers of a saint are powerful, and his 
benedictions a germ of resurrection and of life. 
The Albigensian heresy, a work of perfidy and 
violence, was to disappear, even as the darkness 
disappears before the first rays of the morning 
sun. Truth must regain its empire, and, in the 
words of St. Louis, France would attain the ful- 
ness of her glory. France, on her part, is not 
ungrateful to St. Anthony. She gives him a 
place side by side with St. Dominic in the devo- 
tion, the honor, and the admiration she gives to 
her deliverers, to those chosen men whom Provi- 
dence sends her in wicked times to save her from 
anarchy and error. 

Eome, at the time when the blessed Anthony 
went there, was preparing to celebrate the feasts 
of Holy Week. These feasts are more imposing 



56 St. Anthony Leaves France. 

there than any place else in the world. The 
streets are crowded with strangers of every 
tongue and country. The churches are adorned 
with their richest decorations. What a source 
of pure and strengthening emotions it must have 
been for the son of Theresa Tavera to see Rome, 
to visit her in the midst of that religious pomp 
which surpasses everything here on earth ; to go 
through the places sanctified by the presence of 
the patriarch of Assisi! 

Unknown, mingling in the crowd of pilgrims, 
Anthony was free to satisfy every wish of devo- 
tion, and could taste of those legitimate joys 
which inspire great and holy memories. He 
could do all this quietly, and yet not without 
being remarked. Seeing him pray with so much 
fervor at the tomb of the Apostles, or kiss with 
respect the arena of the Coliseum — this arena 
stained by the blood of so many martyrs — the 
pilgrims asked in astonishment who was this 
monk of angelic appearance. 

The chair of St. Peter was at that time filled 
by a Pope most favorable to the Franciscans, 
Gregory IX., the friend, the protector, and the 
counsellor of the patriarch of Assisi. He was 
not content with merely receiving the homage 



St. Anthony Leaves France. 57 

and the petitions of the privileged disciple of St. 
Francis; he went farther. Learning by public 
rumor of the virtues and the merits of the won- 
der-worker from Portugal, he selected him to 
announce to the people -the indulgences of the 
Holy Week, and also to preach the crusade 
against the infidels. The order came from a 
source too high for the blessed Anthony to an- 
swer otherwise than by a filial submission. 

This was done to stir up the masses. And he 
certainly did stir them by the magic of his words 
and by his sanctity. He led them in the bitter 
pathways of penance, and instituted at Rome 
the Confraternity of the Flagellants — a confra- 
ternity which had for its object to honor the mys- 
teries of the Passion and to expiate the iniquities 
of men. 

The day of Easter witnessed the renewal of the 
miracle of Pentecost. An innumerable multi- 
tude eagerly pressed about the saint's pulpit. 
Greeks and Latins, Slavs, French, English, and 
Germans, all heard him distinctly speaking, each 
in his own tongue. 

St. Anthony made giant strides in the way of 
the apostolate. Nothing could arrest him, neither 
the acclamations of the pilgrims nor the wonders 



58 St. Anthony Leaves France. 

of art. Fortified by the blessing of Gregory IX., 
he left the eternal city on the day following the 
paschal feast, and turned his steps to Assisi. 

When he beheld this little city, the home of 
St. Francis, suspended like an eagle's nest on 
the side of Mount Soubase, his heart beat vio- 
lently. At length he could at leisure satisfy his 
filial devotion for him whom he invoked as a 
saint. To visit the Portiuncula, the cradle of the 
Order, Our Lady of Angels, the scene of the ap- 
paritions of the Virgin Mother, the cell which 
had received the last sigh of the seraphic patri- 
arch, was one of the sweetest joys of his life. He 
went to the ancient city and entered the church 
of St. George, where the mortal remains of the 
founder rested temporarily. Anthony closely 
pressed his lips to the stone of the tomb, and 
there prayed for a long time. His prayers and 
his sacrifices had no small bearing on the result 
of the Chapter General of Assisi, which chose 
John Parent of Florence, a man of eminent 
mind, of frank and loyal character, as the imme- 
diate successor of St. Francis. Anthony was 
named provincial of Bologna. 



CHAPTEE IX. 

ST. ANTHONY IN ITALY — THE MIRACLE OF THE 
FISHES. 

As soon as Anthony had regulated the affairs 
of his province he took up the cross and hastened 
to the people who had heen captured "by heresy 
in Italy, as well as in France and Germany. They 
were the Cathares, or Patarins, who were very 
numerous in Roumania and in Emilia ; the Cir- 
concis in Lombardy ; the Vaudois, entrenched in 
the Milanese and in the mountains of Piedmont. 
These sects were only varieties of the same heresy 
with which the Alhigenses connected themselves, 
and they made great inroads in the south of 
France. 

Faithful to his old methods, Anthony com- 
menced by protecting the poor people against the 
seductions of the Manichean heresies. The lowly 
were dear to him. To him they were the cher- 
ished lambs of the flock of Christ. He led them 
to the pastures of the true faith. He quenched 

59 



GO St. Anthony in Italy. 

their thirst at the pure and sacred sources which 
flowed from the opened side of the Saviour. But, 
like the good shepherd, he did not take flight at 
the coming of the wolves who raged about the 
flock. He went out to meet them and endeavored 
to subdue them. 

Rimini had become the camp of the Cathares. 
A man less resolute than Anthony would have 
hesitated to enter into this discontented and re- 
bellious city. He, however, enters it, having 
decided to announce the word of truth, in season 
and out of season, to convict the shameless sec- 
tarians of error and perfidy, and to threaten them 
with the judgments of God. But his eloquence, 
usually so attractive, from his frank and cour- 
ageous manner, produced no effect. The Cath- 
ares, angered at the zeal with which he attacked 
them, would not yield, even so far as listening to 
him. They remained harder than stones; not 
content with refusing to give ear to his reason- 
ing, they left him to preach by himself. 

But Anthony was not discouraged. He turned 
his eyes towards heaven. In prayer he shed abun- 
dant tears until the inspiration of grace came to 
his aid. He conceived the idea of preaching to 
the sea, since the earth responded so badly to the 



St. Anthony in Italy. 61 

appeals of his charity. By bringing man to a 
school of dumb irrational creatures, he wished to 
give him a solemn lesson. He hoped to take 
away from the Cathares all their influence over 
the people since they would not yield to mani- 
fest truth. God sustained the faith of His 
apostle. 

St. Anthony then went to the shore where the 
river flows into the sea. Standing there, between 
the river and the sea, he cried out in a loud 
voice: " Hear me, ye fishes of the sea. It is to 
you that I am about to announce the Word of 
God, since the heretics refuse to listen to it." 

At the sound of his voice the waters trembled ; 
the countless tribes which inhabit them hastened 
to range themselves as if in battle array, the 
smallest in front, the largest in the rear, with 
every head turned towards him who had called 
them. "My brethren," said the wonder-worker 
to them, "you owe your Creator a boundless 
gratitude. He it is who has assigned to you as 
a dwelling this noble element and these immense 
reservoirs. He it is who provides for your refuge 
in tempests the depths of the waters, gives you 
fins to go whither you will, and furnishes you 
with your daily food. In creating you He has 



62 St. Anthony in Italy. 

commanded you to increase and multiply and 
blessed you. At the universal deluge, while 
other animals perished in the floods, He preserved 
you. He honored you by selecting you to save 
the prophet Jonas, to furnish tribute to the In- 
carnate Word, and to serve Him as nourishment 
before, as well as after, His resurrection. Then 
praise and bless the Lord who has favored you 
among all created beings." 

Attentive, as if they had been endowed with 
reason, the fishes testified by their movements 
the pleasure they took in listening to the saint, 
and that they wished to render to the Most High 
the mute tribute of their homage. " See, " said 
the apostle, turning to the multitudes, "see for 
yourselves how creatures devoid of reason hear 
the Word with more docility than men created 
to God's likeness." 

When the news of this wonder was reported 
all the inhabitants of the city hastened to An- 
thony. The Cathares themselves yielded to 
the popular enthusiasm, and were witnesses 
of the dominion which the apostle exercised 
over the sea. The spectacle touched them, and 
falling at the feet of the wonder-worker, they 
begged of him to instruct and enlighten them. 



St. Anthony in Italy. 63 

Thus they came of their own accord, antici- 
pating his own desires. At last the faithful 
rejoiced ; the heretics opened their eyes to the 
splendors of the faith. During this time the 
fishes listened and applauded in their own way 
without departing. They seemed as if awaiting 
the blessing of the saint before resuming the lib- 
erty of their sports. He blessed them, dismissed 
them, and at once they dispersed in every direc- 
tion, according to the instincts which guide them 
in the waters. 

The wonder-worker remained several weeks at 
Rimini to reap the fruits of his victory. They 
were most abundant. One of the principal leaders 
of the sect named Bouvilla, bound for thirty 
years in the bonds of heresy, publicly retracted 
his errors. His abjuration was most remarkable, 
and he was followed by most of his co-religion- 
ists. 

Some of them, however, furious at their de- 
feat, resolved to be avenged by poisoning their 
adversary. They invited the apostle to dinner, 
and gave him poisoned meat to eat. The saint, 
who knew by revelation of the infernal plot which 
they had planned against his life, reproached 
them. They were not in the least disconcerted, 



64 St. Anthony in Italy. 

and adding irony to their cruelty, they endeav- 
ored to ensnare him by a dilemma from which 
he could not escape, so they thought, without 
admitting he was conquered. "Either you be- 
lieve in the Gospel or you do not. If you believe 
in it, why do you doubt the accomplishment of 
the prophecy of your Master who promised that 
His disciples should cast out demons, and poisons 
should not injure them? If you do not believe 
in the truth of the Gospel why do you preach it? 
Take this poison and if it does not injure you, we 
swear to you to embrace the Catholic faith." 
"I will do it," replied the intrepid missionary; 
"not to tempt God, but to prove to you how 
much I have at heart the salvation of your souls 
and the triumph of the Gospel." Then making 
the sign of the cross on the poisoned meats, he 
ate them without experiencing the least incon- 
venience ; and the angels inscribed in the golden 
book of the elect a new victory and new names. 
The heretics kept their word, and, sincere and 
convinced, re-entered the fold of the Catholic 
Church. 

The wonder-worker had entered Rimini sad- 
dened and in tears; he left it amid popular ova- 
tions. All the people accompanied him to the 




IT. ANTHONY PREACHING TO THE FISHES. 



St. Anthony in Italy. 65 

port, where he embarked for Illyria, and the rec- 
onciled Cathares were not the least enthusiastic 
in their acclamations. He traversed the Adriatic, 
landing on the shores of Illyria, and evangelized 
all the seashore of the gulf of Trieste, from 
Aquilla to Venice, passing by Goritz, Udine, 
Gemona, and Conegliano. Here he attacked the 
Patarins in their last entrenchments; there he 
restored to the degenerate Christians the integral 
faith of their baptism. 

The blessed Anthony was at Gemona, near 
Udine. He had accepted a foundation in that 
city, and he himself superintended the work of 
construction. Seeing a peasant passing near the 
lumber-yard in a cart drawn by two oxen, he 
asked him to lend his cart to carry some bricks 
and lumber. The peasant answered it was "im- 
possible." He was not inclined to give gra- 
tuitous service. "I am carrying a dead man," 
he said. He told a falsehood, for the pretended 
dead man was his own son who was lying asleep 
in the cart. Shortly after the peasant endeav- 
ored to awaken his son to tell him how he had 
fooled the monk-mason. But he tried in vain. 
He had spoken the truth without knowing it, 
when he said he carried a dead man. At the 



66 St. Anthony in Italy. 

sight of the corpse he was seized with fear and 
repentance. He left his cart and oxen and ran 
to cast himself at the feet of the wonder-worker, 
conjuring him to pardon his falsehood and re- 
store him his son. The sorrow of a father is 
something sacred. The saint returned with the 
peasant to the funeral cart, made the sign of the 
cross on the corpse, and gave his hand to the 
young man now restored to life and health. To 
do good to those who do evil to you is the ven- 
geance of the saints. 

On the first of the following year the apostle 
left Gemona and travelled rapidly through Tre- 
vise and Venice, as he was anxious to see his con- 
vent and his brethren at Padua. 



CHAPTEE X. 

ST. ANTHONY AT PADUA. 

Padua is the scene in which God wished to 
manifest the most abundant treasures of grace 
with which He had -enriched the soul of His ser- 
vant. Padua will bear his name in the records 
of the Order of the Friars Minor. From Padua 
he receives his name. But Anthony is not think- 
ing of this. On looking out upon the city he 
thought of the ravages which the heretics had 
wrought in it. Then his heart was moved with 
compassion and yearned for the people. He 
wished to lead back the wandering children and 
warm them at the fireside of the charity of Jesus 
Christ. 

He arrived at Padua with the reputation of a 

saint and of an incomparable orator, and at a 

most opportune moment. As Ash Wednesday 

was at hand, and the Lenten time was about to 

open, the bishop of Padua entreated him to 

preach the Lenten devotions. The apostle yielded 
67 



68 St. Anthony at Padua. 

to the wish of the prelate, and put his hand to 
the work at once. 

This station proved most fruitful in conversions 
and miracles. Although sick and suffering, An- 
thony preached every day, and in the ardor of 
his faith and his charity seemed to gain super- 
natural strength. The people came to his ser- 
mons from all the cities and from villages several 
miles around. The roads were lined with pil- 
grims, anxious to hear the eloquent voice whose 
accents aroused the world. More than thirty 
thousand persons pressed about the pulpit of the 
wonder-worker; bishops, prelates, religious of all 
orders, the clergy and nobility of Padua regarded 
it as an honor to assist at his sermons. They 
listened in silence and recollection when the holy 
man arrived. At his approach not a sound, not 
a breath was heard; every eye was fixed on him 
with anxious curiosity. His face was beautiful 
but pale, and bore marks of suffering. When 
he spoke every soul received with happiness the 
heavenly seed which he scattered and sowed 
among them, and when he left the pulpit, had 
not some strong men protected him from the 
demonstrations of respect and admiration of 
the multitude, he would have certainly fallen 



St. Anthony at Padua. 69 

under the weight of their transports of faith 
and love. 

To speak of the results of this last preaching 
is well-nigh impossible. Heretics were converted, 
the most hardened sinners led back to the prac- 
tice of good, prisoners set free, the poor assisted, 
the sick healed, etc. Such are the new titles 
which won for Anthony the veneration of men. 
In the great city of Padua, where the clergy 
were so numerous, there were not enough priests 
to hear the confessions of the faithful. Miracles 
took place every day. One day the saint met a 
poor man carrying his little daughter who was 
afflicted with epileptic fits and was deformed in 
both feet. The sorrowing father approached the 
saint, and, laying the child at his feet, begged 
him to make the sign of the cross over her. 
Touched by the poor man's faith, the saint blessed 
the sufferer with the sign of the cross, and she 
was immediately cured. At another time a 
noble lady, on returning from a sermon, fell into 
a deep and muddy ditch and arose without acci- 
dent. She had recommended herself to God, 
through the merits of the apostle. At another 
time twenty-two robbers came, in the middle of 
the sermon, to cast themselves at the feet of the 



70 St. Anthony at Padua. 

saint, giving every sign of a true conversion and 
asking pardon for their iniquities. And again, a 
woman, as virtuous as she was beautiful, who 
had been slain by her husband in a paroxysm of 
jealousy, was recalled to life by the saint, who 
made the sign of the cross over her. One day a 
lady, who was prevented by her husband from 
assisting at the sermon, went to her room, and 
from her window distinctly heard all the words 
of the preacher, although she was very far dis 
taut. Again, while the saint was at Padua, a 
youth, named Leonardo, accused himself in con- 
fession of having, in a fit of passion, kicked his 
mother so violently as to throw her down. Wish- 
ing to make the young man understand the enor- 
mity of his offence, St. Anthony said to him: 
"The foot that kicks father or mother deserves 
to be cut off." The penitent, who was of a weak 
mind, understood these words literally, and going 
home, actually took a hatchet and chopped off 
his foot. The news of this unfortunate occur 
rence soon spread throughout the city, and com- 
ing to St. Anthony's ears, he hurried to the 
youth's home. Making the sign of the cross 
over the mutilated limb, the saint applied the 
dismembered foot to the stump, when they im- 



St. Anthony at Padua. 71 

mediately joined and healed without leaving a 
scar. 

St. Anthony spread peace about him, even as 
the rose spreads its perfume. He gave peace to 
souls that were severel} 7 tried. He did not, how- 
ever, always keep this privilege for himself, since 
the angel of darkness frequently made fierce and 
terrible assaults on him. One night, at the be- 
ginning of Lent, the demon appeared to him in a 
visible form, seized him by the throat, and en- 
deavored to strangle him. Anthony at once in- 
voked her who is more terrible than an army in 
battle array : " glorious Sovereign !" Hardly 
had he pronounced these words when the enemy 
of man took his departure. 

The Queen of Heaven visibly blessed the zeal 
and the efforts of her devoted servant. The 
Lenten services had been remarkable for won- 
ders of every kind. The feasts of Easter were a 
worthy crowning for them. Padua celebrated 
the triumph of Christ. She sang also the tri- 
umph of Anthony and the renovation of souls. 



CHAPTER XI. 

GENERAL CHAPTER OF ASSISI. 

In the course of the summer of the year 1228 
the blessed Anthony set out for Bologna, the 
place of his residence. He stopped at Ferrara, 
which was on the way. There our hero had not 
to combat heresy but only to uproot the vices 
which dishonor faith, and wherever they are 
found invariably increase the number of fallen 
humanity. The church of Saint Mary del Vado 
was bis chosen sanctuary and the principal scene 
of his preachings. He praised, with his heart 
full of gratitude, the eminent prerogatives of her 
whose beauty he had seen in his ecstasies. As 
he advanced in his apostolic career, his devotion 
to Mary increased and his confidence became 
more unalterable. 

In the meantime, our saint received from the 
General of the Order, John Parent, the difficult 
mission of establishing peace in Florence, which 
was torn by two rival factions. Two powerful 



General Chapter of Assisi. 73 

families disputed among themselves for suprem- 
acy, and transformed the city into a vast and 
often bloody arena, to the great prejudice of jus- 
tice and liberty. Anthony obeyed all the instruc- 
tions of the General. He hastened to Florence, 
and there preached during the Advent of 1228 
and the Lent of the following year, and during 
this long sojourn exercised all the resources of 
his zeal to extinguish the fire of civil war. 

One day he had accepted an invitation to 
preach at the obsequies of one of the dignitaries 
of Florence. He selected as his text the words of 
the Gospel, " Where thy treasure is, there is tliy 
heart also." All at once he stopped. He had 
beheld the soul of the departed one in the flames 
of hell, the just chastisement of his usurious in- 
justices and his exactions. "This rich man is 
dead," he said, in a voice slow and grave, "and 
he is buried in hell ! Go and open his strong box 
and you will find his heart there." The relatives 
and friends were astounded and overwhelmed by 
the statement. They hastened to the house of 
the dead man, and discovered, as the saint had 
said, the still warm heart of the departed lying in 
the midst of his golden pieces. The scene was at 
once tragic and sad. The minds of all were 



74 General Chapter of Assisi. 

opened by the thought of eternity. The rival 
families put aside their arms, and concluded a 
peace, which, unfortunately, was only of short 
duration. 

After the Lent of 1229 Anthony visited the 
convents of his province; he made new founda- 
tions and preached from place to place in Lom- 
bard v. At Varese and at Brescia the saint 
created new homes of Franciscan life. At Milan, 
at Verona, and at Mantua, he applied himself 
particularly to the conversion of the Vaudois, and 
had the happiness to receive very many abjura- 
tions of heresy. 

In 1228, less than two years after the death of 
St. Francis, the Supreme Pontiff, Gregory IX., 
had made his triumphal entry into Assisi, es- 
corted by cardinals, bishops, mitred abbots, and 
pilgrims from every country. He had placed on 
the head of the great monastic reformer the 
crown of the saints, and had ordered Father Elie 
to construct a basilica worthy of the treasure it 
was to contain. In the spring of 1230 the ba- 
silica was ready, and on the 25th of May it was 
opened by the pontifical commission and received 
the sacred bones of the seraphic patriarch, tem- 
porarily placed in the church of St. George. 



General Chapter of Assist. 75 

The provincial of Bologna was prevented by 
his apostolical labors from assisting at the feasts 
of the canonization. The translation of the 
relics was in a measure a compensation. He was 
so happy again to see the brethren, to venerate 
the relics of the holy founder, to cast himself at 
the feet of his immediate successor, John Parent, 
and to tell him how peaceful Florence, the pearl 
of Tuscany, had become. 

The ceremonies of translation took place with 
great pomp and magnificence, and was enriched 
by all sorts of heavenly favors. St. Anthony 
joined with the people in thanking the Lord for 
so many graces, and invoking with greater love 
his blessed father who was now so magnificently 
glorified. 

After the festival of translation came the Gen- 
eral Chapter of Minors, which was held as for- 
merly at the Portiuncula. 

St. Anthony asked to be discharged from all 
offices so that he might give himself exclusively 
to preaching. John Parent was not disposed to 
grant the request, although legitimate and pre- 
sented with so much humility ; he, however, al- 
lowed the saint to select his place of residence. 
Anthony selected Padua " because of the faith of 



76 General Chapter of Assisi. 

the people, the attachment he had for them, and 
for their devotion to the Friars. 1 ' The General 
and the Chapter gave him again the most strik- 
ing testimony of their confidence. He was dele- 
gated with Father Leon to solicit from Gregory 
IX. an authentic declaration of the testament of 
St. Francis, and to repair, in the name of the 
brethren, the outrage done to the majesty of the 
Apostolic See by the more than irregular acts of 
Father Elie, who, of his own authority, had set 
aside the entire programme prepared by the Pope 
for the feasts of the translation of the body of the 
holy founder. 

Gregory IX. did not conceal his pleasure at 
seeing Anthony. The Holy Pontiff had not for- 
gotten the labors of his visitor, and to all his re- 
quests he gave favorable replies. It was said 
that the Holy Father wished to attach him to 
the pontifical court, and, perhaps, to place the 
purple on his shoulders. To decline these honors 
the Franciscan had only to repeat the words of 
St. Francis: ''Lord, my children call themselves 
Brothers Minor because they occupy the last rank 
in the Church. Have a care lest you take them 
away under pretext of raising them higher. " The 
pontiff did not insist, and the humble monk, left 



General Chapter of Assist. 11 

to his liberty, turned his steps to the mountains 
of Alverne. He visited the mountain which had 
been a witness of the ecstasies of the seraphic 
patriarch, and also of his stigmata. He kissed 
the imprint of his feet and pressed his lips to the 
rock where the seraph with six fiery wings had 
appeared to him. 

After this pilgrimage Anthon} r returned to 
Padua. Using the liberty which had been given 
him by the General Chapter to go and preach 
where he wished, he turned towards this little city 
which was always so dear to his heart. Great 
was the joy of the people of Padua when they 
saw him again within their walls, and when 
they learned his decision to fix his abode with 
them. They were in ecstasies, as if a victory 
had been gained over an enemy ; they did not, 
however, imagine, nor could they, the glory and 
the triumph which Anthony brought to them in 
the folds of his worn and faded cassock. 



CHAPTER XII. 

DEATH OF ST. ANTHONY. 

St. Anthony gave himself up to preaching 
with his usual zeal. The people, always anxious 
to hear his words, went in crowds to his sermons. 
He preached every day during Lent, and his 
sermons called forth the same admiration as they 
did during his first mission in 1228. It may be 
said that the public enthusiasm increased as the 
holy man's strength grew weaker. The charity 
which burned within him made him indefatiga- 
ble. He preached, instructed, exhorted, he heard 
the confessions of penitents, and very often re- 
mained fasting until sundown. But God sus- 
tained the courage of His servant by multiply- 
ing miracles about him, which by their number 
and grandeur recall those we have already re- 
lated. 

After the Lenten time the blessed Anthony 
went through the countries around Padua, 
preaching in the villages and hamlets which he 

78 



Death of St. Anthony. 79 

met on his way, and prolonging the holy exer- 
cises of his mission until Pentecost. 

In spite of the purity of intention which he 
brought to all work of the apostolate, he was 
worn out by his constant occupations in secular 
matters. This is why he thought of leaving the 
city and of retiring into solitude, in order to in- 
dulge with greater liberty his inclination for 
prayer and the study of Holy Scripture. He 
wrote a letter to his provincial asking permission 
to follow his wish in this matter. When he had 
sealed the letter, he left it on his table and went 
in search of a messenger who would carry it to 
its destination. When the messenger was found 
the servant of God returned to his cell to get his 
letter, but it had disappeared. Then he thought 
he had acted contrary to the will of God, and 
thought no more of it. Some days afterwards he 
was much astonished at receiving from the pro- 
vincial a favorable reply to the request he had 
made. It is reasonable to believe that an angel, 
under the appearance of a messenger, had carried 
the letter to the provincial, in order to satisfy the 
pious desires of Anthony, and to prove by a mir- 
acle that his request was agreeable to God. 

For a long time the servant of God had known 



80 Death of St. Anthony. 

the moment of his death, and now it was at 
hand; but he did not reveal it to his brethren lest 
he should sadden them. 

About a fortnight before that event, seated on 
a neighboring hillside, he looked over the plain, 
adorned at this season with all the charms of 
springtime. He cast his eyes over Padua, which 
was in fullest bloom, and seemed, as it were, 
seated in the centre of a bouquet of flowers. 
Then he experienced an interior joy. He re- 
joiced at the beauty of the situation and at the 
crown which God had placed on his brow. Turn- 
ing towards his companion, he prophesied the 
future glory of the city. He did not say what 
this glory would lie; still less from whom it 
would come. Subsequent events have cleared up 
the mystery. 

Campo San Pietro, or Campietro, a small vil- 
lage, situated three leagues from Padua, where 
he found a hermitage under the protection of 
St. John the Baptist, was the retreat in which the 
great saint resolved to pass the last days of his 
life. He was received there at the beginning of 
dime, 1231, by a pious gentleman named Tiso, 
the lord of Campietro, with the respect which 
would be given an angel and an envoy from 




ST. ANTHONY RESTORES THE YOUNG MAN S FOOT. 



Death of St. Anthony. 81 

heaven. Thanks to the care of Tiso, three cells 
were built from the trunks and branches of 
large walnut trees, one for Anthony, the others 
for his two companions, Brother Luke and 
Brother Eoger. This was the last earthly dwell- 
ing of the wonder-worker. Shut up day and 
night in his narrow wooden cell, he filled his 
heart and mind with heavenly contemplation. 
Not a sound was heard around or about the place, 
but everywhere eternal peace and quiet ; although 
numerous pilgrims still came to ask both prayers 
and advice of the saint. The lord of Campietro 
sometimes obtained a few moments' conversation 
with him, and he had the distinguished happiness 
to receive, at the hands of the saint, the habit of 
the Third Order. 

On the thirteenth day of June, about mid-da}^, 
at the time when the saint took his repast with 
his brethren, he sank down and felt himself faint- 
ing away. His companions lifted him in their 
arms and laid him on a bed of branches. But, 
warned by this signal that his last hour had 
come, he expressed the wish to be carried to 
Padua, to the monastery of the Minors, there to 
die, assisted and surrounded by his brethren. 
They took him there on a cart, but so great was 



82 Death of St Anthony. 

his exhaustion that when they reached the gates 
of the city in front of the Arcella, the monastery 
of the Clares, his companions advised him to go 
no farther, but to stay in this place where he 
could more easily find calm and rest. The sick 
man consented, and entered the hospital where 
three or four Franciscans resided, almoners and 
spiritual guides for the daughters of St. Clare. 

As soon as he had regained a little strength he 
confessed with profound sentiments of humility, 
and received absolution. Then filled with a joy 
for which those who stood near him could give 
no reason, he intoned in a clear and harmonious 
voice his favorite hymn, "0 gloriosa Domina! 
Hail, glorious Sovereign !'" His eyes remained 
fixed on an invisible object which captivated all 
his attention. " What do you see?" asked his 
astonished companions. "I see my God," he an- 
swered. 

Then the brothers wished to have administered 
to him the Sacrament of Extreme Unction which 
takes away the last stains from the soul — we 
must be so pure to appear before God. The 
saint answered : " I have this Unction within me; 
it is not necessary, but it is good, however, to 
receive it." After he had received the Holy 



Death of St. Anthony. 83 

Viaticum, he received the Holy Unction with the 
most lively faith and the greatest marks of com- 
punction, reciting with his brethren alternately 
the penitential psalms. He was then silent for 
about half an hour, when suddenly, in the midst 
of the sobs of his assistants, he yielded his soul 
into the hands of God, and slept his eternal 
sleep. This was on the 13th of June, 1231, on 
Friday, just a little before sundown. Anthony 
was then thirty -six years old. 

The Friars Minor resolved to keep, the death of 
the holy apostle a secret as long as possible. 
They feared the crowds of people would be too 
great, and the tumult which might follow. But 
the sad news quickly spread, and in less than an 
hour the whole city of Padua knew it. Little 
children, without having been informed by any 
one, gathered in groups, and ran through the 
streets of the city crying, "The saintly father is 
dead; the saintly preacher is dead. St. Anthony 
is dead!" This news, proclaimed by the mouths 
of innocent children, filled the inhabitants of the 
city with grief. The storekeepers abandoned 
their shops, and the workmen left their labors ; 
some ran in the middle of the streets inquiring 
where the saint had died. A vague rumor 



84 Death of Si. Anthony. 

designated the convent of Arcella as the place 
where the mortal remains were lying. At once 
men, women, and children hastened there. Some 
young men bearing arms from the quarter called 
the Tete du Pont had already reached there to 
guard the body and to prevent all disturbance. 
There was a frightful tumult. In the midst of 
sobs and tears the people pressed about and 
jostled each other to see once more him who had 
been the spiritual father of Padua. 

Several religious houses at once disputed for 
possession of his precious relics. The Clares asked 
permission to preserve them in their convent. 
The religious of St. Mary claimed the body as 
their property; especially, they said, as St. An- 
thony, in dying, expressed a wish to be buried in 
the convent of St. Mary. But after many diffi- 
culties which seemed insurmountable, it was de- 
cided that the body of the venerated father 
should be transported to St. Mary's convent. 

An immense procession started from the epis- 
copal palace to visit the precious relics. At the 
head of the procession walked the bishop of 
Padua, accompanied by all Uw secular clergy and 
all the religious orders of the city and its envi- 
rons. Then came the governor of Padua, the 



JJeatk of St. Anthony. 85 

nobility and the magistrates and the delegates of 
the common people, followed by the multitudes. 
When the usual ceremonies were ended by the 
prelate, the procession returned to Padua, the 
dignitaries and the magistrates carrying the 
body on their shoulders. The funeral cortege 
passed through the outskirts, as well as through 
the principal streets of the city. At length they 
arrived at the church of St. Mary Maggiore, 
which had become the church of the saint. 

This was a grand festival for the people and 
the city; the houses were draped in white cloth, 
and the way of the procession strewn with flow- 
ers. At each step some splendid miracle took 
place, and, according to the words of the Gospel, 
" the blind see, the lame walk, and the dumb 
speak." The church could not contain the mul- 
titudes. The people, for the most part, were 
compelled to remain outside the doors. The 
bishop officiated, pronounced the absolution, and 
sealed the tomb in which the relics of the saint 
rested. 

The tomb of the Portuguese apostle was hardly 
sealed before it became a centre of pilgrimage — 
the scene of multiplied wonders — and the bishop 
solicited the Holy See at once for the honors of 



8G Death of St. Anthony. 

canonization. It was no small consolation for 
Gregory IX. to bear the recital of the heroic vir- 
tues and the splendid prodigies which recalled all 
the wonders of the primitive Church. The Pope 
ordered that the judicial information should be- 
gin without delay. In about six months the in- 
quiry was ended, and by an exception perhaps 
unique in the history of the Church, less than 
one year after the death of the servant of God, 
in the midst of the pentecostal feasts, on the 
30th of May. 1232, the infallible teacher, then at 
Spoleto, solemnly promulgated the decree of 
canonization. At length the pontiff intoned the 
Te Deum, then the antiphon, Doctor opiime, 
thus publicly saluting the eminent doctor, the 
defender of the divinity of the incarnate Word, 
the defender of the Real Presence, the ape stle of 
Mary's prerogatives, and the wonder-worker and 
saint. 

And now a new wonder occurred. The feasts 
of Spoleto were then being celebrated, and a spirit 
of irresistible joy ran through the whole city of 
Lisbon. All the bells in the towers, moved by 
no visible hand, rang out their joyous chimes, 
and the inhabitants manifested a joy for which 
they could give no reason. It was not until two 



Death of St. Anthony. 87 

months afterwards that they got a clew to the 
mystery. By a coincidence, in which the finger 
of God is visible, the bells of Lisbon, the native 
city of St. Anthony, were rung at the same time 
as those of Spoleto, to congratulate the Portu- 
guese wonder-worker. 

On the 13th of June, 1232, Padua was ready 
to celebrate the feasts of canonization. It was 
just one year to a day after the death of the 
wonder-worker. The festivities were splendid 
beyond all description. The people were over- 
joyed. They were children praising their father; 
they were captives returning thanks to their lib- 
erator. 

Along the streets could be seen tapestries and 
hangings, branches and flowers strewn in profu- 
sion, and joy and gladness were on every side. 
The people stopped and congratulated one an- 
other. This was not merely enthusiasm but a 
kind of delirium prompted by gratitude and by a 
love which could not be satisfied. 

And the same feasts and the same splendors 
were to be witnessed in Lisbon. Was not An- 
thony the saint of Lisbon before he became the 
saint of Padua? By a rare privilege in the life 
of saints both parents of Anthony assisted at this 



88 Death of St. Anthony. 

triumph. happy mother who could count her 
sou among her protectors in heaven, and behold 
all the people render him such honor ! happy 
family, so visibly blest by God! 

The reader will remember how displeased the 
Canons of St. Augustine were at the departure 
of Anthony from their convent, and they did not 
hesitate to manifest their displeasure openly. 
But Anthony said on leaving them, " When you 
hear that I have become a saint you will bless 
God." These words were a prophecy. As soon 
as he was placed on the altars, the storm of dis- 
cord suddenly became calm, and the Canons 
rivalled the Franciscans in their zeal in proclaim- 
ing the praises of their former colleague. From 
this time a sacred bond existed between them 
which has never been broken. A bond of eternal 
and reciprocal friendship now unites the two 
great religious families, and the union has con- 
tinued for six successive centuries. Each year, 
on the 13th day of June, a Canon of the Holy 
Cross from Coimbra goes to St. Anthony of 
OlivareSj where he pronounces the panegyric of 
the saint, and presides at all the exercises of the 
convent. He does this to remind all that from 
Holy Cross came one of the most beautiful minds 



Death of St. Anthony. 89 

of the Middle Ages, and one of the lights of the 
seraphic Order. 

In 1263, thirty -two years after the death of the 
saint, it was decided to remove his mortal re- 
mains from the shrine in the church of St. Mary 
Maggiore to the high altar of a new church built 
in his honor by the Friars Minor. Their minis- 
ter-general, St. Bonaventure, was present at the 
translation of the body, and on opening the coffin 
it was found that while the body had crumbled 
into dust, the tongue, which had sung the praises 
of the Most High and been the means of convert- 
ing so many, was incorrupt and of its natural 
color. Moved by the sight of this miracle, 
St. Bonaventure exclaimed: u O blessed tongue, 
which always didst bless the Lord and caused 
others also to bless Him, now is it evident how 
highly thou wert esteemed by God !" 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE BREAD OF ST. ANTHONY. 

In France devotion to St. Anthony has spread 
with a magnificence equal to that in Portugal and 
Italy. To-day devotion to the good saint is more 
lively than ever. Who is there in France, in 
America, or in Canada that dues not know the 
good St. Anthony of Padua? How many cir- 
cumstances might be related of the vigilance and 
the power of him who is invoked with such great 
faith, especially when there is question of finding 
some lost object? But the power of the wonder- 
worker is not limited to this. How many spirit- 
ual and temporal graces have been obtained by 
the invocation of this amiable saint? And what 
shall we say of the work called the " Bread of St. 
Anthony"? This work commenced in a modest 
oratory of Toulon in France, and in a short time 
spread throughout all France and then to Amer- 
ica and elsewhere. 

A young girl of Toulon, named Louise Bouffier, 
90 



The Bread of St. Anthony. 91 

thought of consecrating herself to God under the 
garb of the Carmelites. She was obliged to put 
the thought away, however, as she was the sole 
support of her parents: still she consoled herself 
by employing all her leisure moments in the 
work of the foreign missions. A favor obtained 
through the intercession of St. Anthony awak- 
ened in her heart a profound sentiment of grati- 
tude. The statue of the wonder-worker was on 
that very day placed in the corner of the work- 
shop where she was engaged, and thenceforth the 
good saint looked down upon the labors of the 
young girl. This was the origin of the countless 
graces and wonders which awakened public at- 
tention. She who had hoped to be a daughter 
of St. Theresa thus became the propagatrix of 
the devotion to St. Anthony. But we shall let 
the girl herself tell of the beginning and the 
rapid progress of this opportune and consoling 
devotion. She wrote to Eev. 'Father Marie An- 
toine, a Franciscan, and propagator of th.3 devo- 
tion to the saint, whose name he hore, the fol- 
lowing: 

"My Eeverend Father: 

" You wish to know how the devotion to St. 
Anthony of Padua began in our city of Toulon. 



92 The Bread of St. Anthony. 

Like all the works of our good God, it developed 
quietly and in obscurity. About four years ago, 
I knew nothing of the devotion to St. Anthony 
of Padua and had only heard it vaguely as- 
serted that lie was the patron of those who 
wished to recover whatever had been lost. 

"One morning, I could not open my store 
door; as the secret lock was found to be broken. 
I engaged a locksmith, who brought a large 
bunch of keys, and worked on it about an hour. 
Having lost all patience, he said to me: 'I must 
go for some other tools to force the door; it is 
impossible to open it otherwise.' 

"During his absence, inspired by the good 
God, I said to myself: 'If you promise some bread 
to St. Anthony for the poor, perhaps he would 
open the door without breaking it.' At that 
moment the workman came, bringing a com- 
panion with him. I said to them: 'Gentlemen, 
allow me, if you please. I have just promised 
some bread to St. Anthony of Padua for his 
poor ; instead of forcing the door, try once more 
to open it; perhaps the saint will come to our as- 
sistance. ' They agreed ; and when the first key 
was introduced into the broken lock, it opened 
without the least difficulty, as if it were the very 
key of the door. It is useless to attempt to pic- 
ture the wonder of all present. From that day, 
all my pious friends pray with me to the good 



The Bread of St. Anthony. 93 

saint, and the smallest of our sorrows is com- 
municated to St. Anthony with the promise of 
bread for his poor. 

" We cannot but marvel at the graces he ob- 
tains for us. One of my intimate friends who 
witnessed these wonders at once promised a kilo- 
gram of bread every day of her life if he would 
obtain for a member of her family the correc- 
tion of a certain failing over which she had 
grieved for twenty-three years. The favor was 
soon granted, and the failing has never returned. 
In gratitude she purchased a little statue of St. 
Anthony of Padua, which she has given me, and 
we have placed it in a little room so dark that a 
lamp is necessary to make it visible. This is my 
back room. Well, would you believe it, Father, 
every day this little dark room is filled with 
people who come to pray with greatest fervor. 
Not only do they pray, but you would think that 
each one is paid to make known and spread this 
devotion. 

"At one time a soldier, an officer, or captain 
of a ship about to start on a long voyage comes 
to promise to St. Anthony one dollar a month 
for bread, if he reaches his destination safely. 
Again, a mother asks for her child's health or 
the success of his examinations. Now, a family 
asks for the conversion of a dear soul near to 
death who will not receive the sacraments: then, 



94 



The Bread of St. Anthony. 



a servant needs a situation, or a workman seeks 
occupation,— and all these requests are accom- 
panied by a promise of bread if they are an- 
swered. 

"Some time ago, I was sent for by an aged 
lady who was in great suffering. 'Mademoiselle, ' 
she said to me, k for two years I have prayed fer- 
vently to the great St. Anthony to relieve me 
from the misery in which I live, helpless from 
rheumatism, not able to remain alone, and not 
having means enough to keep a servant. I have 
only a small annuity and many necessities. 
Each day I have conjured the saint to remove 
ray obligations, and have promised him, in 
thanksgiving, forty dollars for his poor. He has 
heard my petition, not according to my wishes, 
but very much beyond my expectations. I have 
just inherited nine thousand dollars most unex- 
pectedly. This is why I have sent for you. ' As 
she spoke, the tears were in her eyes. Her heart 
overflowed with gratitude, her hand was gener- 
ous, and our orphans are happy. 

"A certain gentleman in the neighborhood of 
Toulon owned a place worth at least seven thou- 
sand dollars which he wished to sell. He made 
the greatest efforts to find a purchaser, but no 
one seemed to want the property. Some one 
told him of my little oratory. He came there, 
and while kneeling at the feet of St. Anthony. 



The Bread of St. Anthony. 95 

promised fifty francs for bread. Three days 
after, the property was sold, and on conditions 
as advantageous as they were unexpected. 

"Towards the end of the bathing season, one 
of my lady friends, who was a very skilful swim- 
mer, while in the water lost a gold ring set 
with brilliants. Her sorrow was very great 
when she realized her loss. The bathers, always 
numerous on our seashore, hearing of the mis- 
hap planged into the water in search of the pre- 
cious jewel. One after another they plunged 
into the depths of the Mediterranean, but re- 
turned unsuccessful. The lady on entering her 
house remembered the power of St. Anthony, 
and made him a promise of bread. Early on the 
following day she returned to the beach, accom- 
panied by a young man, who at the first plunge 
found and brought back the prized ring. As the 
lady is well known in the city, the event pro- 
duced a great impression. 

"St. Anthony blesses those who keep their 
promises, but allow me to say that he rigorously 
punishes those who neglect their obligations. 
Here is an example. A lady of Toulon had 
promised one hundred kilograms of bread to ob- 
tain a special favor for one dearly loved. The 
favor was granted, and she hastened to tell us 
with great demonstrations of joy. But the debt 
of gratitude was not discharged. Two months 



96 The Bread of St. Anthony. 

passed. We feared some punishment would fol- 
low. Very soon we learned that the dearly loved 
one had died, and almost suddenly. 

"A book would not suffice to contain the 
miracles which are daily witnessed here through 
the intercession of our saintly wonder-worker." 

That little box placed at the feet of St. 
Anthony, in Mademoiselle Bouffier's rear work- 
room, if it were possible, could recount many a 
secret and the reason for many anonymous 
offerings. 

In the beginning, the weekly receipts were 
from fifteen to thirty francs. In Lafayette 
Street, it is recalled that the receipts for one day 
reached the unusual sum of one hundred francs. 
It is scarcely credible, but now, when the box 
does not yield more than three hundred francs, 
it is considered a very small amount. The total 
amount for the year 1894 was 108,506 francs. 

Nothing, perhaps, is so calculated to touch or 
move the witnesses of these wonders as a visit 
to this modest box, which, although emptied 
every evening, is filled again the next day by 
offerings, the secret of which God alone knows. 
On seeing the marvellous contents of that inex- 
haustible box spread out, every one exclaims, 




THE BLESSED TONGUE. 



The Bread of St. Anthony. 97 

"Are not these several days' receipts?" No, 
that is the amount deposited in one day. 

Oftentimes there are four or five hundred 
francs in bank-notes, in gold pieces, in crowns, 
or in copper coins, and all these gifts are anony- 
mous. By whom this piece of gold has been de- 
posited, or these small coins, or the bank-note 
for one hundred francs, none but God knows. 

"But that which especially causes our joy," 
wrote Mademoiselle Bouffier to some friends, " is 
the humility which envelops this dear little 
work, and, as you know, is the true character of 
God's work. It is the humility with which each 
one places his or her offering in the box, without 
caring if I know them or not. And when even- 
ing comes, on opening St. Anthony's box to 
register the receipts, I find the penny of the poor 
mingled with the bank-notes or gold pieces of the 
rich. The bread kneaded by the charity of each 
one bears only one name and can bear no other, 
the name my dear orphans give it, — 'the bread 
of St. Anthony. "' 

It is not a rare thing to find some jewels 
among the pieces of money. We can easily be- 
lieve that these golden rings represent perhaps 
a severer sacrifice, for those who part with them 



98 The Bread of St. Anthony. 

to pay a sacred debt, than the gift of a piece of 
money. But whether in bank-notes or coppers, 
all the offerings are made with the same gen- 
erosity and simplicity; and there is no more 
ceremony in depositing one thousand francs than 
in depositing a single penny. 

But all have promised bread for the poor, they 
have prayed and their prayers have been an- 
swered. The work has been successful, the diffi- 
culty has been overcome, the lost object has been 
recovered, health has been restored, and some 
long-time prodigal has at last returned to his 
father's house. Thanks to St. Anthony ! 



CHAPTER XIV. 

WHAT IS ASKED OF ST. ANTHONY. 

Everything is asked from St. Anthony, and 
there are very few requests made of him that do 
not meet with a hearty and generous response. 
The joy of the petitioner is frequently manifested 
in cheerful accents like this which was sent 
from Paris: "Unbounded confidence in my good 
Saint Anthony of Padua, who knows not how to 
refuse anything. I love this great saint with all 
my heart, and I shall be eternally grateful to 
him for all the favors he has given me." 

One thing which is often asked of him is the 
restoration of health. On the 29th of August, 
1894, the following letter was received from Cal- 
vados : 

"Mademoiselle: — Saint Anthony has heard 
our petitions! The good health we have asked 
for has been granted, and without the delicate 
operation which was greatly feared. In grati- 
tude and in fulfilment of a promise, we herewith 



100 What is Asked of St. Anthony. 

send you thirty francs for bread for the poor of 
St. Anthony. We shall send the same amount 
from time to time, hereafter." 

A titled lady of Baroul, near Lille, sent the 
following on May 18th, 1891: 

"I was told of the prodigies wrought by St. 
Anthony of Padua, and now I cannot sufficiently 
admire the goodness of this powerful wonder- 
worker. On the 10th iust. I learned that my 
little niece was attacked by meningitis, and re- 
garded by her physicians as a helpless and hope- 
less case. At once we began a novena to St. 
Anthony, with the promise of sending you ten 
francs for your poor people. To-day I am in- 
formed she is out of danger. Praise and thanks, 
therefore, to the good St. Anthony whom no one 
invokes in vain." 

On the 31st of August the pastor of Mount 
Bernenchon wrote: 

"I have the honor of sending you the sum of 
ninety -eight francs that you may be able to pur- 
chase bread for your old people and orphans. 
This is the votive offering of a parishioner for 
health obtained through the intercession of St. 
Anthony of Padua." 



What is Asked of St. Anthony. 101 

September 12th, 1894. 
"Mademoiselle: — I am happy to send you 
herewith the sum of twenty-five francs from the 
Superioress of our Third Order. She promised 
this amount if she should preserve her eyesight, 
which she feared was permanently impaired. 
Having experienced much assistance, she is most 
anxious to obtain a complete cure and is satisfied 
that her eyes will be as perfect as they formerly 
were." 

October 31st, 1894. 
"Mademoiselle: — I send you enclosed two 
bank-notes, amounting to one hundred francs, for 
bread for the poor. The good St. Anthony has 
obtained for me complete restoration to health. 
I wish to pay him my just debt." 

Paris, November 17th, 1894. 
"Mademoiselle: — I thank you for the good 
prayers you have offered to St. Anthony for the 
cure of my daughter's eyes. We have been 
heard; and this good saint has aided us in a 
manner truly providential. I have promised him 
a pound of bread every week until my child at- 
tains her majority, thus wishing to thank him 
during many years." 

We could not hope to give all the testimonies 
received in gratitude for favors obtained. Even 



102 What is Arte J of St. Anthony. 

if we gave extracts, these would make a large 
volume. We are in receipt of like letters daily. 
Suffice it to say, that the good St. Anthony 
has been invoked in every circumstance both 
spiritual and temporal, and in every instance 
the favors have been granted and oftentimes 
more has been obtained than was expected or 
asked for. 

But in conclusion we wish to say a word as to 
the manner of conducting this work of St. 
Anthony's bread. 

In many churches and chapels there is a statue 
of the saint ; at his feet there is a box destined 
to receive the requests. To ask a favor from St. 
Anthony, with the promise of bread for his poor, 
this is the ordinary way : 

The request is written, accompanied by a 
promise, and it is then placed in the box at the 
feet of the statue. Any formula may be em- 
ployed. When the request is granted, the prom- 
ised uttering is placed in the box. 



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY. 



Novena in Honor of St. Anthony of Padua. 

It has been asked frequently : " What prayers 
must be employed to make this novena?" We 
answer that no particular prayers are prescribed. 
A prayer, the promise of a gift of bread, a sacri- 
fice, in fact any act of devotion, provided it be 
sincere. It is recommended to terminate the 
novena by receiving Holy Communion. 

Prayer to Find Lost Things. 

O glorious St. Anthony, since God has given 
thee the power of miracles, a power thou hast 
exercised for more than six centuries, and since 
He has given thee in particular the power of 
finding that which has been lost, I come to thee 
with the confidence of a child to the best of 
fathers. Grant me, above all, to' find the grace 
of God, if I have had the misfortune to lose it; 
grant me to find also my former fervor in the 

103 



104 Prayers to St. Anthony. 

service of God and in the practice of virtue ; and 
as a pledge of these graces, so important for my 
eternal salvation, grant me to find also the things 
I have lost. Thus, thou shalt make me experi- 
ence the presence of thy goodness, and thou wilt 
increase my confidence and my love for thee. 
(Our Father.) 

Efficacious Prayer to St. Anthony. 

Great St. Anthony, I congratulate thee on all 
the prerogatives with which God has favored 
thee, beyond all His saints. By thy power 
death is disarmed, and by thy light error is 
dissipated; they whom malice strives to crush 
receive by thy assistance that solace so much de- 
sired; the lepers, the sick, and the lame obtain 
complete health by thy power; storms and tem- 
pests are appeased at thy command; the cap- 
tives' chains are broken by thy authority; 
through thy care things lost are found; all 
who invoke thee with confidence are freed from 
the evils under which they suffer and from the 
perils which threaten them; in a word, there is 
no difficulty over which thy power and bounty 
do not extend. St. Anthony, powerful inter- 
cessor, by all these graces which heaven has 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 105 

given thee I supplicate thee to take paternal 
care of my soul, my body, of my affairs, and of 
my whole life, being assured that there is noth- 
ing in the world that can injure me, so long as 
I shall be under the safeguard of such a patron 
and protector. Present my needs and desires to 
the Father of mercies, to the God of every con- 
solation, that by thy merits He may deign to 
strengthen me in His service, console me in 
afflictions, deliver me from evils, or at least give 
me strength to bear them for my greater sancti- 
fication. I ask these graces for myself and for 
those who are in the same dangers. perfect 
imitator of Jesus, who hast received the special 
privilege of restoring lost things, I ask of you 

that I may find which has been lost, if 

such is the will of God, or at least I ask quiet of 
mind and peace of conscience, the deprivation of 
which has afflicted me more sensibly than the 
loss of everything in the world. To these favors 
add another, which is to keep me faithful in the 
possession of the true goods, in a word, that no 
hostile force can make me lose or separate me 
from my God, to whom be honor and thanks- 
giving now and forever. Amen. (Five Our 
Fathers and Hail Marys.) 






100 Prayers to St. Anthony. 

Petition to St. Anthony. 
Charitable protector of those who have recourse 
to thee, since thou hast received the gift of mir- 
acles, I ask of thee the grace of ray conversion 
and perseverance. Present all my needs before 
the throne of God, keep from me and from all 
those who are dear to me sickness, adversity, 
and disgrace; and by the power of thy prayers 
obtain for us the best blessings of heaven and 
earth. Amen. 

Prayer to Obtain a Good Death. 
Great St. Anthony of Padua, sweet hope of 
all who implore thee. I prostrate myself humbly 
at thy feet to obtain by thy powerful intercession 
the greatest of all blessings, the grace of dying 
well. Do not allow, I entreat thee, by the 
pierced Heart of Jesus, that I be suddenly seized 
by death in the deplorable state of mortal sin ; 
grant that at that last moment I may experience 
the most profound sorrow for the sins of my 
whole life, that I may be penetrated with love 
for Jesus, and full of confidence in the power of 
His blood which was shed for me; that the last 
movement of my hands may be to carry the cruci- 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 107 

fix to my lips, and my last words the holy names 
of Jesus and Mary ; in short that, expiring in the 
embrace of my sweet Bedeemer, I may have the 
happiness to see Him, to love Him, and to possess 
Him with thee for all eternity. Obtain this grace 
also for my parents, my friends, my benefactors 
and for all who are dear to me, in Our Lord 
Jesus Christ, to whom be honor and . glory with 
the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit for- 
ever and ever. Amen. 

Litany of St. Anthony.* 
Lord, have mercy on us. 
Christ, have mercy on us. 
Lord, have mercy on us. 
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. 
God the Father of heaven, 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, 
God the Holy Ghost, 
Holy Trinity, one God, 
Holy Mary, conceived without sin, 
St. Anthony of Padua, 
St. Anthony, glory of the Brothers Minor, 
St. Anthony, lily of virginity, 

* For private devotion. 



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108 Prayers to St. Anthony. 

St. Anthony, gem of poverty, 

St. Anthony, example of obedience, 

St. Anthony, mirror of abstinence, 

St. Anthony, vessel of purity, 

St. Anthony, star of sanctity, 

St. Anthony, model of conduct, 

St. Anthony, beauty of paradise, 

St. Anthony, ark of the testament, 

St. Anthony, keeper of the Scriptures, 

St. Anthony, teacher of truth, 

St. Anthony, preacher of grace, 

St. Anthony, exterminator of vices, 

St. Anthony, planter of virtues, 

St. Anthony, conqueror of heretics, 

St. Anthony, terror of the infidels, 

St. Anthony, consoler of the afflicted, 

St. Anthony, searcher of consciences, 

St. Anthony, martyr in desire, 

St. Anthony, terror of the devils, 

St. Anthony, horror of hell, 

St. Anthony, performer of miracles, 

St. Anthony, finder of lost things, 

St. Anthony, helper of all who invoke 

thee, 
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord ! 
Be merciful, hear us, O Lord. 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 109 

From all evil, 

From all sin, 

From the snares of the devil, 

From pestilence, famine, and war, 

From eternal death, 

Through the merits of St. Anthony, 

Through his ardent charity, 

Through his zealous preaching, ^ 

Through his desire of martyrdom, 

Through his strict observance of obedience, 
poverty, and chastity, 

On the day of judgment, 

We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us. 

That Thou vouchsafe to lead us to true peni- ' 
tence, 

That Thou vouchsafe to inflame us with 

divine love, o- 

That Thou vouchsafe to let us ever enjoy the 

protection of St. Anthony, §* 

That Thou vouchsafe to give us, by the mer- 
its of St. Anthony, the gift of true con- 
trition, humility, and contemplation, 

That Thou vouchsafe us the grace, through ^ 
the intercession of St. Anthony, to g 
overcome the world, the flesh, and the 
devil, 






110 Prayers to St. Anthony. 

That Thou vouchsafe the assistance of St. ] ^ _, 
Anthony to all who invoke him in their 
necessities, 

That Thou vouchsafe graciously to hear us, ** « 

Son of God, J S > 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, J/car us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the 
world, have mercy on us. 

Christ, hear us. 

Christ, graciously hear us. 

V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony. 
R. That we may be made worthy of the prom- 
ises of Christ. 

Let us Pray. 

Almighty and eternal God, who didst glorify 
Thy faithful confessor Anthony with the perpet- 
ual gift of working miracles, graciously grant 
that what we confidently seek through his merits 
we may surely receive through his intercession. 
Through Christ Oar Lord. Amen. 



Prayers to St. Anthony. Ill 

The Responsory to St. Anthony. 

Si qugeris miracula, If miracles thou fain 

would st see: 
Mors, error, calami- Lo, error, death, ca- 
tas, lamity, 

Daemon, lepra fugi- The leprous stain, the 
unt, demon flies, 

Aegri surguut sani. From beds of pain the 

sick arise. 

Cedunt mare, vin- The hungry seas fore- 
cula, go their prey, 

Membra resque per- The prisoner's cruel 
ditas chains give way ; 

Petunt et accipiunt While palsied limbs 

and chattels lost, 
Juvenes et cani. Both young and old 

recovered boast. 

Pereunt pericula, And perils perish ; 

plenty's hoard 
Cessat et necessitas ; Is heaped on hunger's 

famished board ; 
Narrent hi, qui sen- Let those relate, who 
tiunt, know it well, 



112 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 



Dicant Paduani. 

Cedunt, etc. 
Gloria Patri et Filio 
et Spiritui Sancto. 

Cedunt, etc. 

V. Ora pro nobis, 
beate Antoni. 

R. Ut digni effici- 
amur promissionibus 
Christi. 

Oremus. 
Ecclesiam tuara, De- 
us, beati Antonii con- 
fessoris tui com memo- 
ratio votiva lsetificet, 
ut spiritualibus semper 
muniatur auxiliis, et 
gaudiis perfrni mere- 
atur ?b t e r n i s. Per 
Christum Dominum 
nostrum. Amen. 



An indulgence of one hundred days each time, 
indulgence, once a month, if recited every day. 



Let Padua of her pa- 
tron tell. 

The hungry seas, etc. 
Glory be to the Fath- 
er, etc. 

The hungry seas, etc. 

V. Pray for us, bless- 
ed Anthony. 

R. That we may be 
made worthy of the 
promises of Christ. 

Let us Pray. 
God! Let the vo- 
tive commemoration of 
blessed Anthony, Thy 
confessor, be a source of 
joy to Thy Church, that 
she may always be for- 
tified with spiritual as- 
sistance, and may de- 
serve to possess eternal 
joy. Through Christ 
Our Lord. Amen. 

A plenary 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 



113 



O Gloriosa Domina. 

Hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that St. Anthony was wont 
to repeat. 



gloriosa Domina, 
Excelsa super sidera, 
Qui te creavit provide, 
Lactasti sacro ubere. 



glorious Virgin, 
ever blest, 

All daughters of man- 
kind above, 

Who gavest nurture 
from thy breast 

To God with pure ma- 
ternal love. 



Quod Eva tristis ab- What we have lost 
stulit through sinful Eve, 

Tu reddis almo ger- The blossom sprung 
mine ; from thee restores, 

Intrent ut astra fle- And granting bliss to 
biles, souls that grieve, 

Coeli fenestra facta es. Unbars the everlasting 

doors. 



Tu regis alti janua, 



gate through which 
hath passed the 
King! 



114 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 



Et porta lucis fulgida, 



Vitam datam per vir- 
ginem, 

Gentes rederaptge, 
plaudite. 



hall whence light 

shone through the 

gloom ! 
The ransomed nations 

praise and sing 
The Offspring of thy 

virgin womb! 



Jesu tibi sit gloria. 



Praise from mankind 
and heaven's host, 
Qui natus es de virgine, To Jesus of a virgin 

sprung, 
Cum Patre et Almo To Father and to Holy 

Spiritu. Ghost, 

In sempiterna ssecula. Be equal glory ever 
Amen. sung. Amen. 

O Lingua Benedieta. 

When St. Bonaventure had the grave opened in which the 
remains of St. Anthony had reposed for thirty-two years, the 
tongue of the saint was found well preserved and red as in the 
days when he preached the word of God. 



O lingua benedieta, 
quae Dominum semper 
benedixisti, et alios 
benedicere f ecisti : nunc 
manifesto a p p a r e t , 



O blessed tongue ! 
that always blessed the 
Lord, and made others 
bless and praise Him; 
it is now manifest what 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 



115 



quanti meriti exstitisti 
apud Deum. 

V. Ora pro nobis. 

R. Ut digni effici- 
amur promissionibus 
Christi. 

Oremus. 
Da qusesumus, om- 
nipotens Deus, qui facis 
prodigia et mirabilia 
solus, ut sicut Lin- 
guam beati Antonii 
Oonfessoris tui post 
mortem incorruptam 
servasti, ita nos ejus 
meritis, et exemplo te 
semper benedicere et 
laudare valeamus. 



Per Christum Domi- 
num nostrum. Amen. 



great merits thou dost 
possess in the sight of 
God. 

V. Pray for us. 

R„ That we may be 
made worthy of the 
promises of Christ. 

Let us Pray. 

ALMIGHTY God, 

who alone dost per- 
form miracles, grant, 
we beseech Thee, that, 
as Thou didst preserve 
the tongue of Thy holy 
confessor St. Anthony 
incorrupt after death, 
we, through his inter- 
cession and after his 
example, may be wor- 
thy of praising and 
blessing Thee forever. 

Through Christ Our 
Lord. Amen. 



116 Prayers to St. Anthony. 



St. Anthony's Blessing Against the Assaults of 
the Poivers of Hell. 

Ecce crucem Dom- Behold the cross of 
ini! fugite partes ad- the Lord! fly ye powers 
versae; vicit Leo de tri- of darkness; the Lion 
bu Juda, radix David, of the tribe of Juda, the 
Alleluia! root of David, has con- 

quered. Alleluia! 

One hundred days' indulgence once a day.— Leo XIII., May 
21, 1892. 

Three Prarjers to be Said Kneeling Before a 

Picture of St. Anthony in Affliction or 

Anxiety of any Kind. 

loving Jesus, source of grace and mercy, I 
cast myself at Thy feet, and I implore Thee, 
through the love which St. Anthony bore Thee, 
and through the compassionate Heart with 
which in Thy bitter agony Thou didst look down 
upon Thy Mother from the cross and commend 
her to the care of St. John, to look upon me, a 
poor sinner, with the eyes of Thy boundless 
mercy. Come as my loving Father and God to 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 117 

my assistance in my great need and anxiety. In 
Thee do I trust, in Thee do I hope. Amen. 

(Our Father, Hail Mary.) 

O good Jesus, loving Redeemer and Sanctifier! 
I cast myself at Thy feet; and I implore Thee 
through the love which St. Anthony bore Thee, 
and through Thy precious blood shed for us, to 
turn Thy compassionate and fatherly eyes upon 
me, a poor sinner whom Thou didst free on the 
cross from the chains of the enemy. Comfort 
me in my anxiety and affliction, for in Thee 
alone do I place all my confidence and my hope. 
Amen. 

(Our Father, Hail Mary.) 

O loving Jesus, sure and sole refuge of my 
needy soul! I cast myself at Thy feet, and I 
implore Thee through the love which St. Anthony 
bore Thee, and through Thy love for him which 
induced Thee to come to him in the form of a lit- 
tle child, and to comfort and caress him, I im- 
plore Thee to come to me in my great need and 
affliction, that I may know how precious is Thy 
presence in a soul that hopes in Thee. 

(Our Father, Hail Mary.) 



118 Prayers to St. Anthony. 

Prayer. 

truest and most loving patron St. Anthony ! 
I implore thee in union with the most loving 
Heart of Jesus, which He suffered to be opened 
for sinners after His death, show me how great 
is thy power before the throne of God, and let me 
be comforted in my affliction with the hope that, 
like all who call upon thee in their need, I may 
be able to say with a joyful heart, God truly lives 
and reigns in His servant St. Anthony. Amen. 

Prayer for One who Would Devoutly Honor St. 
Anthony. 

St. Anthony, my faithful advocate and pro- 
tector ! I rejoice for thy unspeakable happiness 
in the contemplation of the Most Holy Trinity, 
in which the soul possesses all that it could ever 
desire. I earnestly and humbly beg thee to re- 
gard not my sins and ingratitude, but, in thy 
tender compassion, beg Our Lord Jesus Christ to 
grant me His grace, without which I can do noth- 
ing. With this divine gift I shall be strength- 
ened to overcome my evil desires, to discipline 
the sensibility of my soul, to resist the tempta- 



Prayers to St. Anthony. 119 

tions of the evil one, and amend my bad habits ; 
it will enable me to advance in the love of God, 
to fulfil the divine will of God as perfectly as 
possible, to walk in the way of a true Christian 
life, to recognize and discern between good and 
evil counsel, to accept with a joyful heart interior 
as well as exterior admonitions, and to love and 
serve my neighbor as the divine will decrees. 

I also pra}^ thee, St- Anthony, to protect me 
against the hands of my enemies, to save me 
from an unprovided death; above all, implore 
God that I may not be surprised by death and 
depart this life without the sacraments of holy 
Church, which Our Lord Jesus Christ has insti- 
tuted to strengthen and comfort us in that dread 
hour, and that thou and our blessed Mother may 
be present at my side; and finally that, through 
the bitter passion of Our Saviour and thy inter- 
cession, I may, with thee and all the saints and 
elect of God, rejoice and praise Him forever in 
the heavenly country. 



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